CLIMATE LEADERSHIP NEWSLETTER
NOTES FROM MASSACHUSETTS CITIES AND TOWNS
Dear Supporter,
The purpose of the Climate Leadership newsletter is to features stories of environmental and climate action in Massachusetts. It provides a platform to highlight work being done by municipalities, climate leaders, and local groups in communities across the Commonwealth. To share local climate actions your community is working on, email Veena Dharmaraj.
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Boston Unveils Plan to Protect City from Rising Waters
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The ‘Resilient Boston Harbor’ plan announced by the city lays out strategies along Boston’s 47-mile shoreline that will increase access and open space along the waterfront while protecting the city from the impacts of rising sea levels and climate change. A 2016 city report projected sea levels around Boston could rise 36 inches (91 centimeters) by 2070, affecting some 90,000 residents, 12,000 buildings and potentially causing more than $14 billion in economic losses.
The plan calls for the creation of 67 acres of new open space, the restoration of 122 acres of tidal areas and parkland to serve as natural buffers during major floods and proposes elevating flood prone areas along the city’s shoreline. In addition to seeking federal and private support for projects, the city plans to earmark 10 percent of the city’s annual capital budget towards climate resiliency efforts.
Boston will also be using the $2.5 million awarded by the Bloomberg American Cities Climate Challenge to reduce air pollution and emissions from its building and transportation sectors. Plans include improving biking and pedestrian infrastructure, deployment of ‘traffic calming’ measures for city streets, and programs to improve energy performance of buildings.
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Lowell launches community clean energy program to install solar and heat pumps
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Do you live in Lowell or know someone that does? Now through the end of February 2019, the Solarize Lowell program is helping Lowell residents go solar and install Air-Source Heat Pumps (ASHP). 
Solarize Mass Plus Lowell (Solarize Lowell) is a joint Mass Clean Energy Center (Mass CEC), Mass Department of Energy Resources (DOER) and City of Lowell program designed to help add solar and clean heat to homes, at low risk and substantial savings over retail, by vetting installers and by aggregating homeowner buying power to reduce hardware and installation prices. The program is proudly driven by a group of committed volunteers, who worked with the state to select ReVision Energy (of North Andover, Massachusetts) as the designated installer for Solarize Plus Lowell.
Please email solarizelowell@gmail.com or visit www.solarizelowell.com for more information and/or to set up your site assessment.
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Gloucester Community Electricity Aggregation Takes Effect in December
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The City of Gloucester has signed a three-year agreement with Direct Energy LLP for a community electricity aggregation program that offers consumers three rate options—basic with no renewable energy, 5% more renewable energy and 100% renewable energy. Customers who do not choose any option will be enrolled in the ‘Local Green Five Percent More Renewable Energy’ option. The program will provide stable and cost-effective electricity rate for participating consumers. For more information click here.
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| Municipal Energy Technical Assistance Grants Awarded to 41 Communities for Clean Energy Projects |
The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) awarded $500,000 in grants to 41 cities and towns across the Commonwealth —including Ipswich, Beverly, Becket, Fairhaven, Natick, Medford, Southborough, Windsor, Cummington and Maynard—to develop clean energy projects. Awarded to designated Green Communities , these Municipal Energy Technical Assistance (META) grants of up to $12,500 can be used by Massachusetts municipalities, school districts, water/wastewater districts to aid in the management of projects or carry out studies to support the development of energy projects.
Funding is being used to support solar photovoltaic site evaluation, heating system replacements, ASHRAE Level II audits, technical analysis of energy use at drinking water and wastewater facilities and technical assistance with efficient building planning, maintenance, and operation.
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| Braintree Energy Storage Project to Save Customers Money |
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Municipal utility Braintree Electric Light Department (BELD) unveiled its new 4 megawatt-hour lithium ion energy storage facility that can store electricity produced by the town’s three solar arrays. Financed in part by a $700,000 grant by the Department of Energy Resources, the pilot project is part of the state’s ‘Energy Storage Initiative’ which has a goal of deploying 200 megawatt hour of energy storage by 2020.
Stored energy can be used during outages and times of peak demand when electricity is the most expensive, increasing the grid’s overall reliability and resilience. The storage unit is estimated to save $250,000 a year in wholesale electricity costs.
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Massachusetts Offshore Wind Auction in December
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 The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) will hold an offshore wind auction on Dec 13 for 390,000 acres located of the coast of Massachusetts. Nineteen companies have qualified to participate in the auction and once fully developed could provide approximately 4.1 gigawatts of power to supply nearly 1.5 million homes. Earlier this year, Vineyard Wind was selected to build an 800-megawatt commercial wind energy installation south of Martha’s Vineyard.
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| Medford Drafts Ordinance to Hold Utilities Responsible for Gas Leaks |
The Medford City Council has drafted an ordinance that will require gas companies to provide the city with a quarterly plan to address aging and leaking gas infrastructure. Utility companies will also need to inform the city of when they plan to repair the leaks and submit information on high priority leaks. According to the Home Energy Efficiency Team (HEET) an estimated 230 gas leaks in the city remain active as of 2017.
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| OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE ACTION |
Ask Your Board of Health to Sign Letter Opposing New Fracked Gas Pipelines
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The Massachusetts Association of Health Boards (MAHB) has circulated this letter to their members, asking local Boards of Health to consider signing onto the letter, which calls on Governor Baker to require comprehensive health impact assessments for any new or expanding fracked gas pipelines. More than eighty municipalities , representing over 40% of the state’s population have signed on so far, with several more planning to join.
Fracked gas contains heavy metals, radioactive elements, and carcinogens. These contaminants can cause cancer, neurologic disease, and respiratory issues such as asthma. As front-line protectors of public health, local Boards of Health are perfectly placed to call on Governor Baker to say NO to dangerous and destructive pipelines. For more information contact Steve Jones or Michele Brooks.
Contact your local Board of Health and ask them to sign on!
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This email was sent by the Sierra Club Massachusetts Chapter
50 Federal Street, 3rd Floor Boston, MA 02110 |
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