Project Details
Project Title
Climate Action Plan and Electrification Roadmap
Municipality
Acton and Acton-Boxborough Regional School District
MVP Region
Northeast
Award Year
FY2022
Grant Award
$157,940
Project Length
One year
Community Overview
The population of Acton is 24,021. Acton is a town in Middlesex County.
According to Massachusetts's definition and designation for Environmental Justice (EJ) populations, Acton meets the criteria of 40% or more of the town’s total population are minorities and the annual median household income of the municipality in which the neighborhood is located does not exceed 150% of the statewide annual median household income. Parts of Acton’s EJ population experience English isolation, with the top language being simplified Chinese. In addition, nearly 30% of the Town of Acton is also made up of renters, which is relatively high compared to other similarly sized suburban cities and towns in Massachusetts.
The top employer in Acton is Insulet Corporation, a medical device company with headquarters in Acton. Acton is bordered by Westford and Littleton to the north, Concord and Carlisle to the east, Stow, Maynard, and Sudbury to the south and Boxborough to the west. Acton-Boxborough Regional High School, was named a Blue Ribbon School by the U.S. Department of Education in 2009. Acton has two primary stream systems: the Nashoba Brook system including the incoming streams Butter Brook, Wills Hole Brook and Conant Brook and the Fort Pond Brook system including the incoming streams Guggins Brook, Inch Brook, Grassy Pond Brook, Pratt's Brook and Coles Brook. Both stream systems empty into the Assabet River, which passes briefly through the town at its southern corner. Nagog Pond in the north, forms Acton's border with the Town of Littleton and provides drinking water to the Town of Concord. Acton was first settled by Native Americans who used the Assabet, Sudbury and Concord rivers for transportation and the fields for farming seasonal crops. There is evidence of Native American settlements in Acton which go back 7,000 years. When the colonists arrived in this area, the Native American population dropped dramatically due to European diseases for which they had no immunity. Acton was established as an independent town on July 3, 1735. Acton has held annual town meetings since 1735, the records of which are held at Acton's Memorial Library.
Project Description and Goals
Climate Action Plan
The Climate Action Plan addresses extreme heat, precipitation, and extreme storm events in Acton, MA. Eight actions address these impacts within two resilience strategies. They are summed up as follows:
- Resilience Strategy 1: Pair nature-based solutions with resilience
- Action 1: Explore opportunities to promote and/or pilot projects with natural carbon sinks and sequestration solutions.
- Action 2: Explore policies and programs to reduce impervious surfaces in line with the Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit.
- Action 3: Support sustainable and resilient water management.
- Action 4: Provide emergency funds to low-income residents to manage climate change related disasters.
- Action 5: Explore opportunities to promote green roof installations.
- Resilience Strategy 2: Prepare the town for the impacts of climate change
- Action 1: Ensure town-wide planning efforts incorporate the latest available climate change data and include resilience-focused strategies.
- Action 2: Review and update bylaws and procedures to incorporate climate change and sustainability considerations.
Climate Action Plan goal as stated in application was to develop of a plan that effectively maps out the actions for realizing the 15-20 strategies in the next 5-10 years to tackle the Town’s GHG emissions identified in the 2019 GHG Inventory Report and reach Net Town-wide carbon emissions to zero as quickly as possible and that enhances local resilience.
The Climate Action Plan goals led three nature-based themed workshops, including a “Nature Walk & Talk” with our Natural Resources Department. In one of our virtual nature-based solutions themed workshops an expert from The Nature Conservancy was invited to present sample solutions and actions to address climate mitigation and adaptation through green infrastructure. At these workshops two goals were developed with input from the community:
- Acton’s natural resources are protected, managed, connected, and restored to increase carbon sequestration, equity, resilience, and biodiversity.
- 2. Local land use policy encourages affordable, diverse, transit-oriented and net zero housing while also enhancing nature-based solutions.
Four focus group sessions were organized with the Housing & Climate Justice advocacy grassroots organization in Acton, a presentation was given to the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Commission (DEIC), and an interview was conducted with the Chair and Co-Chair of the DEIC. The purpose of these sessions was to solicit specific input on actions that might positively or negatively impact low-income communities and vulnerable populations and identify ways to enhance the positive impacts and address the negative impacts. In addition to developing new actions, equity concerns are addressed throughout the Climate Action Plan -- most of the actions include a section titled “equity considerations.” For example, the equity considerations for Action 4 of Strategy B4 (“Explore pursuing an aggregated triple electrification model in Acton to decarbonize buildings while improving energy efficiency and adding onsite renewables”) is “Engage a diverse range of residents in program design and ensure that the program offers zero- or low-cost financing that allows low- and moderate-income homeowners to participate. Work with landlords and renters to encourage program participation and to design anti-displacement mechanisms so costs are not passed on to renters.”
Several methods of engagement were employed to capture a broad and diverse audience. Updates and notices on events were provided through the Climate Action Plan Town blog, Town of Acton social media, the sustainability newsletter; the Town of Acton newsletter, and Action Unlimited Ads (local newspaper delivered by mail). For major events, including the first Visioning Virtual Workshop, CAP Open House & CAP Festival, outreach included all of the above plus: postcard mailings to every address in Acton; a yard sign; ActonTV ads; flyers at restaurants, coffee shops and apartment units with translation to Simplified Chinese, Portuguese, and Spanish; in-person promotion at a table outside of the Donolan’s Supermarket and Acton Coffee House; Town of Acton news flash.
Electrification Roadmap
Analyzing electrification of seven key existing municipal/school buildings in Acton was the focus of the Electrification Roadmap task. This collaborative project examined three Town of Acton buildings (Town Hall, library, PSF) and four Acton-Boxborough RSD school buildings (HS, JH, Parker Damon Building, Administration Building), a total of 800,000 s.f across two portfolios. The Town and the District were seeking to understand options, costs and timelines for electrifying these seven buildings, all of which will be fully occupied over the next several decades as the US shifts to a low-carbon economy. The project was finished on time and resulted in the development of a thorough and well-researched report detailing the path forward on electrification.
Results and Deliverables
Climate Action Plan (CAP)
The CAP contains estimated costs to implement each strategy, the avoided cost of inaction (social cost of carbon), and benefits in health cost savings. Acton has one of the most ambitious GHG emissions reduction target in Massachusetts -- a Climate Emergency Declaration was passed at the September Town meeting calling for net-zero emissions as quickly as possible, “with a target date of 2030.” For this reason, it was important to identify the current barriers to achieving net zero emissions, including both financial and policy challenges.
Electrification Roadmap
The engineering team from Salas O’Brien combined numerous inputs to create a Business as Usual (BAU) thermal profile for each of the seven buildings. Analysis was then done to identify the most efficient and cost-effective pathway for electrification of each building. A Life Cycle Cost Analysis was run to examine both capital costs and operating costs over time for each scenario considered. Reductions in GHG emissions and energy consumption were analyzed. Campus solutions were considered for developing a single system that would address two or more buildings. A variety of technologies was evaluated, including geothermal (GSHP) and Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHP).
The Electrification Roadmap final report is thorough and well-constructed. It details specific recommendations and timelines for electrification of each building.
Outreach
Significant outreach was done to enhance the impact of this project:
- The RFP was distributed nationally, and ten proposals were received in reply.
- Presentations on the Electrification Roadmap study were given at a joint AEEE/ASHRAE meeting in March, and at NGRID’s Municipal Energy Summit in May. Numerous other avenues for sharing the process and results with municipal contacts have been fruitful as well.
- Nine utility staff members joined a working meeting in March to gather information about the project.
- The project was described at the Drawdown Festival on Long Island in January. A presentation for Acton residents was given in May.
- Additional opportunities for sharing these results are anticipated in the months ahead.
Lessons Learned
Climate Action Plan
Providing a free shuttle service, free food, and entertainment for children and families garnered diverse participation at our in-person events. Free entertainment in the form of face painting for kids, a raffle, music, and scavenger hunt attracted new and diverse audiences to our events. This was a key component for acquiring broader involvement in the climate action plan work and in soliciting input on the CAP strategies and actions. The best way for other communities to learn about our process is by visiting the Town of Acton Climate Action Plan web page.
Electrification Roadmap
Wide distribution of the RFP was key, as the network for contacting firms interested in this work is definitely national in character. Firms in other regions of the US expressed significant interest and submitted substantial proposals. The joint nature of the project, a collaboration between Town of Acton and Acton-Boxborough RSD, added both complexity and richness. Complexity was managed by close communication between the teams. The result was a rich experience for all participants, as we learned about priorities, timelines, capital planning processes, and operational practices from each other. Salas O’Brien was flexible and gracious in working with two different organizations. The Final Report yields an interesting look thru two different lenses at portfolio electrification.
Partners and Other Support
- Acton-Boxborough Regional School District: Municipal entity partnering with Town of Acton on all aspects of Electrification Roadmap activities, including grant application, vendor procurement, vendor supervision, development and review of Final Report components.
- Salas O’Brien: Engineering firm contracted for Electrification Roadmap to perform analysis and identify pathway to full electrification for seven buildings, including Life Cycle Cost Analysis review of capital and operational costs.
- MAPC: The Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) is the regional planning agency that serves the people who live and work in the 101 cities and towns of Metro Boston. MAPC’s mission is to promote smart growth and regional collaboration. MAPC works toward sound municipal management, sustainable land use, the protection of natural resources, climate change mitigation and adaptation, efficient and affordable transportation, a diverse housing stock, public safety, economic development, and equity and opportunity for all.
- ERG: Consulting firm with specialty in several fields, including environmental services.
- The Town also depended heavily on community partners to complete the Climate Action Plan, including committees, local advocacy groups, businesses, and non-profit organizations -- a list of acknowledgements is included in the Climate Action Plan.