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Your
Town
Local Energy/Environmental Groups
What if we could hold the line on property tax increases, yet afford more services for Boxborough residents? That might become possible if our town becomes more energy-efficient. Besides controlling energy costs, efficiency helps reduce the amount of carbon dioxide that Boxborough releases into the atmosphere.
Efficiency and environmental improvements go hand in hand with conserving our natural resources and reducing our volumes of waste. By treating our land and water gently now, we might avoid costly problems in the future. Similarly, disposing of ever-increasing amounts of waste will only become more expensive as our town grows.
In 2008, a grass-roots group called Boxborough EcoPath proposed to the Board of Selectmen that our town create an Energy Committee. The Selectmen were receptive and asked four EcoPath volunteers to serve as the town’s Ad Hoc Energy Committee.
In 2009, this ad hoc committee asked the Board to form a permanent Energy Committee for the town. Again, the Selectmen approved the new committee, and four members were sworn in. A fifth member joined us in late 2009. We welcome all interested citizens to participate in our meetings or help out on special projects without becoming a member.
For more information:
Town Energy Committee web page
The Energy Committee’s number-one goal is to save money for Boxborough taxpayers by helping to stabilize or reduce our town’s energy costs:
· Natural gas and electricity bills for town buildings
· Gasoline and diesel bills for town vehicles
· Waste disposal costs at our transfer station.
Becoming more energy-efficient will not only save money, but will also reduce our town’s impact on the environment. The Energy Committee will be responsible for –
- Tracking, or “benchmarking,” town building energy consumption
- Analyzing the
costs and benefits of energy efficiency improvements
- Developing a plan to achieve target reductions in energy use
- Writing/processing
grant applications and rebates
- Identifying
funding opportunities for proposed energy projects
- Helping to
update the town’s Master Plan
- Contributing
to the town’s Annual Report
- Developing a community outreach program to encourage conservation and efficiency, increase recycling, and promote smart development.
During 2009, we introduced the Energy Committee with a presentation at Town Meeting in May, and we held a Home Energy Savings seminar at Sargent Memorial Library in October. In 2008-09, we met with town officials to discuss how we can help them reduce costs by making their buildings more energy-efficient (Police, Fire, Public Works, Blanchard School, Town Hall, and Library).
We prioritized 16 projects for the Police Station, including nine options that are zero-cost or low-cost ($400 or less). Savings could total $3,678 per year for seven of the recommended projects. Their average payback is 2.1 years.
Volunteer
measures area for shading Police Building air-conditioning units. When exposed to the sun, these systems can
use up to 5% more electricity.
Previously, the Town of Boxborough conducted an energy audit of six public buildings. The Energy Committee analyzed the audit and identified the top 13 projects that pay for themselves in the shortest amount of time. The payback on these projects would average just 1.5 years, or 18 months, and could save an estimated $3,681 per year.
We’ve also attended numerous educational meetings, and we’re creating partnerships with surrounding towns including Acton, Bolton, Concord, Groton, Harvard, and Maynard (see Local Energy/Environment Groups). Our goal is to learn more about the advantages and drawbacks of new technologies and to find out what other towns are doing so that we can emulate their successful strategies.
Plans and Priorities
Our general priority is to recruit more advisors for technical assistance and “friends” to help out on special projects. We encourage interested citizens to participate.
The Energy Committee operates in three broad areas: 1) energy efficiency, 2) community outreach, and 3) recycling.
1. Energy Efficiency Group
Ongoing
priorities (late 2009)
· Explore possibility of LELD opting in to state Renewable Energy Trust (RET)
· Support town energy use “benchmarking” (monitoring) by state Department of Energy Resources (DOER)
· Support town energy audit by DOER
· Finalize Master Plan input
Near-term
priorities (2010)
· Develop targets for reducing town energy consumption, based on audit/benchmarking results and using DOER technical assistance
· Get Board of Selectmen (BoS) approval of target reductions and, using DOER technical assistance, initiate affordable energy conservation/efficiency measures
· Work with LELD and town staff to opt in to RET
· Analyze costs and benefits of becoming a Green Community
Longer-term
priorities (2011-12)
· If cost-effective, qualify as a Green Community by implementing –
o Program to reduce town energy use baseline (i.e., results from benchmarking) by 20% over 5 years
o Fuel-efficient vehicle purchasing plan (Fire/DPW heavy vehicles and Police cruisers are exempt)
o As-of-right siting (i.e., no special permit) for renewable/alternative energy facilities (research, generation, or manufacturing)
o Streamlined permitting (MGL 43D or similar) for renewable/alternative energy facilities
o Stretch code for incremental energy-efficiency improvement in new construction and major renovations
· Exploit state funding for Green Communities
2. Community Outreach Group
Ongoing
priorities (late 2009)
· Communicate with other towns’ energy/environmental groups
· Place articles in local press
· Host booths at community events
Near-term
priorities (2010)
· Revamp website
· Initiate “Greening of Boxborough” campaign
o Encourage/reward businesses that increase efficiency and recycling
3. Recycling Group
Ongoing
priorities (late 2009)
· Work with DPW to determine –
o Economics of compacting recycled material
o Costs of recycling vs. waste disposal
· Post conspicuous signs at Transfer Station advertising the cost benefits of recycling
Near-term
priorities (2010)
· Continue to encourage recycling by launching an awareness program (print and/or web-based)
· Discuss with DPW the economics of roadside pickup
Boxborough’s conservation lands and other town property provide us with a wealth of natural beauty during all seasons of the year, as well as a community garden. We are also fortunate to be surrounded by other towns that offer similar resources. Here are websites where you can find maps of these conservation areas:
· Acton
· Harvard
The Rolling Meadows
conservation area (above), Steele Farm town lands (below), and
other parcels contain acres of land for Boxborough residents and visitors to
enjoy.
Local Energy/Environmental Groups
Many of Boxborough’s neighboring towns are also grappling with energy and environmental issues. Some of them are focusing on town energy costs, while others are targeting carbon dioxide emissions or promoting local agriculture, open space, and farm-fresh produce. You can find more information on local and regional efforts at the following websites:
Acton
Acton PIP (Parent Involvement Project)
Ayer
Bolton
Boxborough
Boxborough Agricultural Commission
Concord
Concord Climate Action Network (ConcordCAN)
Concord Comprehensive Sustainable Energy Committee
Groton
Groton Sustainability Commission
Harvard
Harvard Energy Advisory Committee
Hudson
Lexington
Lexington Climate Action Plan Ad Hoc Committee
Lexington Electric Utility Ad Hoc Committee
Lexington Energy Conservation Committee
Lexington Global Warming Action Coalition
Lincoln
Littleton
Littleton Green Initiatives Subcommittee
Marlborough
Maynard
Sudbury
Sustainable Sudbury (Sudbury Earth Decade Committee)
· Cape & Islands Energy Information Clearinghouse
· Cape & Islands Self Reliance Corp.
· Environmental League of Massachusetts
· Mass Energy Consumers Alliance
· Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection
· Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources
· Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities
· Massachusetts Energy Network
· Massachusetts Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
· Massachusetts Good Neighbor Energy Fund
· Massachusetts Government-Residents-Environment
· Massachusetts Interfaith Power & Light
· The Massachusetts Recycling Coalition
· Massachusetts Technology Collaborative
· MassPIRG
· MassSAVE
· MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research
· Pioneer Valley Sustainability Network
· Center for Ecological Technology
· New England Clean Energy Council
· New England Grassroots Environment Fund
· Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships
· Northeast Sustainable Energy Association
· Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative
· Cities for Climate Protection
· Institute for Local Self-Reliance
For information on activities nationwide and in other countries, please see Your World.
Massachusetts Quick
Facts
· The Everett liquefied natural gas (LNG) import facility is the only existing LNG terminal serving the Northeast
· Massachusetts is one of the states that require the statewide use of reformulated motor gasoline blended with ethanol
· Massachusetts is a leading source of electricity generated from landfill gas and municipal solid waste
· Massachusetts is the only New England state that relies significantly on coal-fired power plants, with coal accounting for one-fourth of electricity generation
· A proposed 420-megawatt wind power project in Nantucket Sound could become the Nation’s first offshore wind farm.
For more details, go to the Energy Information Administration.
Disclaimer: The Boxborough Energy Committee does not
endorse or sponsor other websites. If a
link fails to open a website, please let us know by email.
You can try going to the website’s home page to search for the
information.