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BOSTON — Nearly 100 cities and towns are sharing more than $11.8 million in state funding aimed at helping them reduce their energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions that are contributing to climate change.
The state Department of Energy Resources is distributing the money to local governments through its Green Communities program, which provides funding for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects aimed at helping the state meet its ambitious goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.
Several communities north of Boston will be getting a piece of the latest round of grant funding disbursements, according to a new report to the Legislature.
Gloucester is receiving $144,311 in grant money; Ipswich is getting $167,500; and Wenham is slated to receive $50,000, according to the state agency.
The grants will pay for myriad projects, including the acquisitions of hybrid police cruisers, battery-electric vehicles and electric vehicle charging stations.
Other projects include ventilation system upgrades, weatherization, and decarbonization of schools, municipal buildings and facilities.
Combined, the projects are estimated to produce energy savings of more than 31,000 MMBTUs, or roughly the same amount of energy consumed by more than 240 households, according to the state agency.
When completed, the projects are expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1,897 metric tons every year – equivalent to taking 383 cars off the road.
The Merrimack Valley Planning Commission is receiving a nearly $64,000 grant to reduce energy consumption and costs, pollution and the development of renewable energy and alternative energy.
Meanwhile, Andover, Haverhill, Methuen, Manchester-by-the-Sea and Ipswich will each get $15,000 Municipal Energy Technical Assistance grants from the state to cover the cost of green projects ranging from decarbonization of buildings to energy storage.
About 290 communities, accounting for about 89% of the state’s population, have been awarded a “green community” designation by the state agency.
Since 2010, the state agency has awarded more than $177 million in Green Communities grants, according to the Baker administration.
To qualify for funding, communities must commit to reducing their energy consumption by 86,875 MM BTUs over the next five years. That’s equivalent to the energy use of 673 homes, or taking 1,222 gas-powered cars off the road, according to the agency.
Massachusetts is required under a state law to meet ambitious benchmarks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to “net zero” over 1990s levels by 2050.
A climate change bill signed by then-Gov. Charlie Baker in 2022 requires the state to meet incremental goals every five years to reach a 50% reduction in emissions by 2030 before meeting the 2050 goal.
The plan calls for expanding the use of wind power, solar and hydropower, as well as continuing to reduce overall energy usage and reliance on fossil fuel sources to keep the lights turned on and heat and cool the state’s homes and buildings.
The state is also working to improve energy efficiency through the Mass Save program, which is funded by a surcharge tacked onto energy bills and proceeds from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, a cap-and-trade system aimed at reducing emissions from power plants.
The fees drum up about $2 billion a year, which helps pay for home efficiency audits and other programs to reduce energy consumption.
Christian M. Wade covers the Massachusetts Statehouse for North of Boston Media Group’s newspapers and websites. Email him at cwade@cnhinews.com.
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By Christian M. Wade | Statehouse Reporter
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