The 10% Challenge: Campaign Essentials
The Ten Percent Challenge is a spirited, community-based campaign to cut fossil fuel use 10%, getting the rest of your energy from the cleanest possible sources, and to involve 10% of the community as leaders and models.  "Hatched" by Sustainable Hudson Valley and piloted in Red Hook and Warwick, New York, the Challenge is ripe for adoption by cities, towns and villages.  It uses sophisticated community psychology to engage people,  create incentives and rewards, provide supportive feedback, overcome barriers, document results, and grow participation over time.   

This is a demanding challenge, but quite achievable.  It takes a combination of engineering and lifestyle change.  
Two kinds of effort will be needed in successful communities:

• widespread, voluntary energy-saving behavior, from changing out lights to line-drying clothing to carpooling and composting;
• establishing signature, community-scale projects to help everyone reduce their footprints,  such as creating farmers' markets and bike paths and ride share systems, and then making sure they are well used.
 

Organization and leadership development are the essentials for a successful Ten Percent Challenge campaign.  A local government can cut its energy use directly by hiring technical experts, perhaps with a performance contract. But to involve businesses, institutions, schools, and especially households, a different approach is needed.  It begins with a broad leadership network, willing to take public stands and work hard to grow the campaign.  That leadership network needs to be well versed on energy conservation strategies, personally committed, and savvy.

Sample timeline for a 10-month campaign (adjustable to work in your community, of course): 
Months 1 - 2: 
• form leadership team and outreach network
• establish benchmarks, measurement and verification system
• develop strategy and campaign milestones
• raise funding
• line up rewards for winning performance
• design launch event
Months 3 - 4
• general community outreach and education (canvass, media)
• Energy Plan commitments
• action - low hanging fruit e.g. weatherization, lighting changeouts, appliance swap,  natural cooling, biking and public transportation commitments;
• participation - contest, rally, etc. 
• design special campaigns for the rest of the year
Months 5 - 6
Special campaign:  e.g. transportation
Months 7 - 8
Special campaign: e.g. water-efficiency
Months 9 - 10
• Evaluate progress  toward goals and assess community benefits
• Report publicly on the campaign
• Celebration, awards event, media, etc.