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Date: 3/29/2023
John Meiklejohn of Granville, a member of the Berkshire chapter of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby and Voices for Climate, a committee of the Granville-based Voices Rising Together, said area residents interested in doing something to lower their carbon footprint may be interest in joining in-person or virtually a free public forum on Monday evening, April 3, at the Berkshire Innovation Center, 45 Woodlawn Ave. in Pittsfield. A finger food reception begins at 5:30, the panel and Q&A at 6:15 p.m.
The forum, “Climate Incentives for All,” is sponsored by the Berkshire Innovation Center, Ener-G-Save, the Citizens’ Climate Lobby and media sponsors, and will highlight recently passed climate legislation and the opportunities these new laws present for families, local governments and businesses.
The panelists will explain the benefits including job creation, access to immediate rebates, generous tax credits, and more. The event will be livestreamed on Pittsfield Community Television’s Facebook page and pittsfieldtv.org/live (click on PCTV Select 1). Moderated questions from the audience will be posed to the panel. Panelists are state Sen. Paul Mark, a Democrat who represents most of the Hilltowns; Judy Chang, former state undersecretary of energy and climate solutions; and Larry Chretien, executive director of Green Energy Consumers Alliance. A message from U.S. Rep. Richard Neal (D-Springfield) rounds out the panel.
“We’re in an extraordinary moment. The state of Mass. and the federal government through the inflation reduction act are offering a wide range of incentives to people to lower their carbon footprint,” Meiklejohn said. He said there is a “stunning array of tax credits and rebates,” for clean heat for people’s homes and electric car incentives.
Meiklejohn said this forum has been set to start to inform people in Western Massachusetts about these incentives and how to access them: “This forum is meant to get that process started out here. How I can save money and do something for the common good.”
He said many of the incentives are new, including several put in place by the recently passed federal Inflation Reduction Act.
“If you have a modest sized home, heat with a boiler and want to put in a heat pump, through MassSAVES, if you put in a heat pump to heat the whole house, you can get back $10,000 just from the state,” Meiklejohn said.
He said he himself has a bigger house and put in a heat pump for part of the house, and received a partial rebate of $3,700, which he said doesn’t address the issues of any possible federal rebates he may get.
“It’s pretty impressive,” Meiklejohn said, adding that some of the rebates and tax incentives weren’t available before last year. “We have never seen tax credits and rebates from the federal government like we’re seeing now.”
Calling it an unusual opportunity, he said this forum is meant to give people in Western Massachusetts an opportunity to begin to understand the breadth of the opportunities.
Meiklejohn said Mark is very knowledgeable about the issues. He is also a lead sponsor on a bill to create a climate or “green” bank in Massachusetts to encourage innovative uses of finance and technology to combat climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Gov. Maura Healey named the creation of a green bank as a goal in her inaugural address.
For those who cannot attend the forum either virtually or in person, Meiklejohn said there is “a wealth of information” on the Green Energy Consumer Alliance website on heat pumps, electric vehicle cars and incentives at greenenergyconsumers.org.