Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
An MMA webinar reviewed grants and state programs available to support municipal decarbonization efforts. Speakers included (clockwise from top left) Ashfield Energy Committee Chair Alexandra Osterman, MMA Legislative Analyst Josie Ahlberg, Worcester Director of Projects for Sustainability and Resilience Luba Zhaurova and Green Communities Division Director Joanne Bissetta.
An MMA webinar today reviewed grants and state programs available to support municipal decarbonization efforts.
Green Communities Division Director Joanne Bissetta began with an overview of the Climate Leader Communities program, run by the Department of Energy Resources.
“Building on the success of Green Communities, this program strives to encourage municipalities to adopt clean energy policies that reduce the use of fossil fuels and carbon energy,” she said. “Climate Leader Communities lead by example, and municipalities are uniquely positioned to implement efficient, sustainable practices.”
The Department of Energy Resources will begin accepting program applications on a rolling basis starting July 25.
Ashfield Energy Committee Chair Alexandra Osterman discussed her town’s motivation and process for pursuing the Climate Leader designation. In preparation for the adoption of the specialized energy code, Osterman said it was imperative to engage with the public to build buy-in.
“We wanted to make this information accessible to residents,” she said. “We let people voice their concerns, and used [that] to hone our message.”
Luba Zhaurova, the director of projects for Sustainability and Resilience in Worcester, discussed her city’s process for reducing municipal emissions and generating solar energy.
“We’re prioritizing municipal aggregation as a primary way to reduce community emissions and reach our goal of being a zero-emission community by 2045,” she said. “Progress takes time, but commitment from the top-down has helped us move projects along.”
MMA Legislative Analyst Josie Ahlberg moderated a brief Q&A session, addressing inquiries about the state’s strategy for working with electric companies, the cost of EVs, and solar maintenance.
• Climate Leader Communities – Mass. Department of Energy Resources presentation (3.3M PDF)
• Climate Leader Communities – Ashfield presentation (1.2M PDF)
• Climate Leader Communities – Worcester presentation (3M PDF)
• Ashfield Decarbonization Commitment Article (14K PDF)
• Ashfield Specialized Energy Code Bylaw (17K PDF)
• Ashfield Zero-Emission First Vehicle Policy Resolution (28K PDF)