More efficient homes. More affordable energy.
We help households across Delaware County cut their energy costs, collaborating with local schools and leaders to make sure energy policy stays accountable to the people it affects.
Ohio's data center boom is straining the grid, and the cost is landing on families already stretched thin.
State tax incentives have accelerated data center development to the point that Ohio now ranks as the 5th-largest data center hub in the nation. The U.S. Department of Energy projects data centers could consume as much as 580 TWh annually — about 12% of total U.S. electricity demand — and because that demand clusters geographically, it strains the grid unevenly, with blackouts and instability expected to hit hardest in rural and low-income communities that already have the weakest infrastructure and the least say in where a data center gets sited.
Four students who found a policy fight already happening at home.
Vihaan Narayan, Camryn Harris, Mihika Narayan, and Chase Peterson.
All four of us compete in debate, where we spend our rounds researching and arguing real policy — including a mock bill on energy subsidies that sent us digging into how states court data centers with tax breaks.
The same headlines continue to surface: Ohio's data center boom, and the utility rate spikes following it. No longer hypothetical for a bill we'd debate and move on from; these impacts were already playing out in our own county's electric bills.
That connection is what pushed us into our own local school district. There, we began by raising energy efficiency with facilities staff and the school board, establishing sustainability as an official district priority by authoring the first student written board policy in district history. The same advocacy work has culminated in advancements ranging from solar panels on school roofs to LED floodlights by football fields, and timed power strips in classrooms.
Our central messaging is a resistance to the tragedy of the commons — the assumption that one household's or one district's contribution is too small to matter, which produces collective inaction. O.R.E.S exists to turn that individual inaction into coordinated action instead.
Read about usA simple kit, built for immediate savings.
Smart power strips
Cut phantom energy draw from devices left plugged in and idle — the same technology piloted district-wide in Olentangy schools.
Weather stripping
Seals gaps around doors and windows so heating and cooling stop leaking out of older housing stock.
LED bulbs
Replace incandescent and older bulbs, using a fraction of the energy for the same light.
We're a youth-led team navigating this for the first time. We could use help.
Fund a kit
Funding goes directly toward the materials we distribute, plus the filing fees to formally register as a nonprofit.
- Smart power strips
- Weather stripping
- LED bulbs
- IRS 501(c)(3) filing fees
Mentor us
We bring initiative and local relationships, but we're navigating nonprofit formation, local governance, and utility partnerships for the first time. Guidance on any of these directly speeds up our work.
Offer mentorshipPartner with us
For school districts, local governments, and community organizations who want to bring this distribution model to their area.
Start a conversationO.R.E.S is a youth-led initiative currently in the process of filing for 501(c)(3) nonprofit status. Reach out before giving if you have questions about where funds go in the meantime.
Questions, feedback, or want to get involved?
Reach out anytime — whether it's a question about the kits, an idea for a partnership, or feedback on the site itself.