By Lisa Moore
Hometown Weekly Correspondent
Lieutenant Governor Karen Polito, Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Matthew Beaton, and Department Of Energy Resources (DOER) Commissioner Judith Judson were among the list of local dignitaries on hand at the Wellesley Town Hall last week to honor Wellesley, Waltham, and Stoneham and formally recognize each town as a “Green Community.”
“The dedication of local officials and volunteers make this initiative of ‘Green Communities’ work,” said Judson. There are currently 210 designated “Green Communities in the Commonwealth, which comprise 72 percent of communities.
Ellen Gibbs, Wellesley’s Chair of the Board of Selectmen, stated that through the commitment, drive, and hard work of many volunteers and town offices (including help from the Wellesley Sustainable Energy Committee), the town was able to meet the standards of a “Green Community.” This designation by the state provides grants that go to support the reduction of energy consumption and emissions, which will lower energy costs and decrease the cost of municipal utility bills. The savings, in turn, are returned back to the community to be used for other services; it is a win for both the town and the environment. Actions as simple as changing lightbulbs to LED lights and increasing insulation in town buildings have decreased energy consumption and reduced emissions by approximately 27,000 metric tons of carbon. This is the equivalent of removing 4,500 cars from the road.
There are many steps to becoming a designated “Green Community.” During the process, each town had to achieve a 20 percent reduction of energy use, and create an energy bill that adds other forms of energy, like hydroelectric or solar energy. In Wellesley, examples of efforts to become a more green community focused on changing streetlights to LED lights and changing old windows for new ones to reduce energy waste.
Now having won the “Green Community” distinction, Wellesley was awarded initial grant money that will be used to change and retrofit the exterior lights at the DPW facility and complete an audit of the water and waste water systems in town.
Furthermore, with the new “Green Community” status, the town will be eligible for future grant money to be used for other sustainability projects.
