Date: 1/25/2023
In response to last week’s article, I want to voice my support for East Longmeadow to join the Green Communities program.
Green Communities has been running since 2010, and 290 of the state’s 351 cities and towns have already achieved designation. These communities have committed to five criteria to push the needle on energy savings and clean energy. You can see all of the grants that these communities have used, hundreds of thousands of dollars, to fund projects like retrofits to existing buildings, upgrading heating systems in schools and municipal buildings, rooftop solar, vehicle leasing and installation of EV charging stations. (Statewide grant summaries can be viewed at https://www.mass.gov/doc/map-of-290-gcs-and-grant-summaries/download).
I would love to see our town take this action. Code requirements for new construction in Massachusetts are no doubt going to get more stringent as the need to conserve energy will only increase. The most energy efficient homes and municipal buildings benefit everyone. In response to some of the councilors’ concerns about being forced to purchase EVs, the Green Communities requirement is only for fuel-efficient vehicles. But Green Communities grants could allow for leasing hybrid or electric vehicles for city employees to test out.
Town councilors should talk to folks in neighboring towns to see how the program has been working for them. I hope that East Longmeadow chooses to advance our town’s progress in energy saving and going green.
Kerisa Fitzgerald
East Longmeadow
