Press Release  Healey-Driscoll Administration Designates Four New Green Communities

Boston — This Earth Week, the Healey-Driscoll Administration is proud to announce the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) is designating the City of Peabody and the towns of Gosnold, Leyden, and Newbury as Green Communities. The four newest communities to join the Green Communities program have committed to reducing energy use and greenhouse gas emissions through clean energy and energy efficiency initiatives. The communities are now eligible for designation grant funding totaling nearly $663,000.

With today’s announcement, 295 of Massachusetts’ 351 cities and towns hold a Green Communities designation. Since the program’s inception in 2009, DOER has awarded more than $177 million in grant funding to cities and towns through designation and competitive grants.

“Climate change knows no boundaries. It is going to take all of us to collectively decrease our carbon footprint, reduce energy use, and advance clean energy technologies. Massachusetts is a national leader in energy efficiency because we have forward-thinking municipalities taking climate action,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “The Green Communities program does a tremendous job fostering partnerships with our cities and towns that boost local economies and create healthier communities. I applaud Gosnold, Leyden, Newbury, and Peabody for making a commitment to advance clean energy solutions to deliver emissions-free, affordable, and equitable renewable energy to our residents and businesses.

“We are so proud to welcome Gosnold, Leyden, Newbury, and Peabody as our newest Green Communities, and to provide funding that helps stretch municipal budgets as communities fight climate change at the local level,” said DOER Commissioner Elizabeth Mahony. “When our cities and towns decrease emissions from their buildings and fleets, they create more affordable, healthful places to live and work while helping accelerate Massachusetts’ clean energy transition.”

The 295 Green Communities each commit to reduce municipal energy consumption by 20 percent within 5 years. This new group of four communities has committed to an energy savings that represents a greenhouse gas emissions reduction of 1,958 tons.

Proposed projects for the new Green Communities include weatherization improvements in schools and municipal buildings, electric vehicles for town and school fleets, and renewable thermal technologies like air-source heat pumps.

DOER will award the following funding for projects in these newly designated Green Communities:

Under the Green Communities Act, DOER’s Green Communities Designation and Grant Program can provide up to $20 million annually to cities and towns. The goal of the Designation Grant Program is to support communities’ investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy projects that further the clean energy goals determined by the designated communities. Initial designation grants are based on a $125,000 base for each designated Green Community, plus additional amounts tied to per capita income and population.

DOER’s Green Communities Division (GCD) provides grants, technical assistance, and local support from Regional Coordinators to help municipalities reduce long-term energy use and costs and strengthen local economies by implementing clean energy projects in municipal buildings, facilities, and schools. GCD serves all 351 Massachusetts cities and towns. Funding for these grants is available through proceeds from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).

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