POTSDAM — Charge your cell phone, taste a smoothie made with bicycle power, enjoy solar baked cookies, munch on some ‘renewably’ pan-fried crickets made on a conduction stove, and take a chance to win some E-goods such as yard tools, smart strips, and more.

As a part of the Village and Town of Potsdam’s Community Campaign to meet renewable energy and grant goals, the ‘Energy Zone,’ hosted by Northern Power & Light, is a brand new feature on Friday, July 12, and Saturday, July 13, at the Potsdam Chamber of Commerce’s Summerfest.

There will be so much to learn from all of the ‘Energy Zone’ partners, including GRO Energy Solutions, PROVEN Solar, Coakley’s Home & Hardware, ANCA/North Country Clean Energy Hub, Cornell Cooperative Extension Energy Navigators and SNAP-Ed Nutrition, and Northern Power & Light.

Activities will include things for kids, like building their own water turbine, and hands-on DIY energy-saving guidance for homeowners.

Plus you’ll have the opportunity to sign-up for local, renewable hydroelectricity to help our community earn guaranteed grants from the State and reach our shared renewable energy goals. Bring your National Grid account number with you and sign up in-person.

Help both the Village and the Town reach the total of 60 new consumers of locally-produced, renewable hydroelectricity and ensure that both receive $15,000 in guaranteed grants from New York State for sustainability projects.

Based in Saranac Lake, NP&L specializes in offering community hydropower for National Grid customers, and the company serves residents and businesses throughout the region. NP&L uses a share-based model. Each customer receives a share of electricity from a hydro facility, and the power produced credits the customers’ National Grid bill each month. The company currently serves the municipalities of Glens Falls, Saranac Lake, Hopkinton, and Westport, in addition to the Town and Village of Potsdam, with power from three North Country hydro facilities, Azure Mountain Power in Saint Regis Falls and two facilities owned by Boralex Hydro, one in Warrensburg and Sissonville Hydro in Potsdam.