- Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources
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Lauren Diggin, External Affairs Manager
Boston — The Healey-Driscoll Administration today recognized six Massachusetts state entities, municipalities, and public sector individuals for their leadership in driving initiatives to reduce environmental impacts of state and local government at the 19th annual Leading by Example Awards Ceremony. Awardees were honored for their leadership in clean energy and sustainability projects, which have significantly lowered ongoing energy costs and harmful pollution. These efforts include solar and building electrification projects, fleet electrification and EV charging infrastructure, a microgrid project, and a host of other initiatives that reduce environmental impacts and costs for state and municipal government operations.
The 2025 awardees are:
- UMass Lowell
- Pioneer Valley Transit Authority
- Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department
- Town of Stow
- Scott McCarthy, Department of Developmental Services
- Vicky Masone, Towns of Hamilton and Wenham
“This leadership at the state and local level is helping Massachusetts drive down energy costs,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “I’m grateful for the 2025 awardees’ work to advance projects that bring more clean energy into the state and lower demand on our electric grid. Their efforts make Massachusetts a healthier, more affordable place to live and work.”
“We’re inspired by the dedication of our state and local partners to deploy innovative clean energy solutions that lower the costs and environmental impacts of government,” said Energy Resources Commissioner Elizabeth Mahony. “Our six awardees create energy efficient, sustainable buildings; take on geothermal, solar, and microgrid projects; and make great strides in transitioning their fleets. I’m proud to recognize their accomplishments.”
“This ceremony is one of my favorite events every year. It is always a source of pride and pleasure to celebrate the individuals, agencies, and institutions who are at the forefront of using the tools of government to reduce energy costs, lessen climate impacts, and improve the quality of life for their constituents, particularly with respect to their facilities,” said DCAMM Commissioner Adam Baacke. “Congratulations to a highly deserving group of sustainability leaders and partners.”
The Leading by Example (LBE) program is administered by the Department of Energy Resources (DOER). LBE collaborates with state agencies and public colleges and universities to advance clean energy and sustainability practices that reduce the environmental impacts of state government operations, regularly providing technical assistance and grant funding. Cities and towns across the Commonwealth receive similar support and grant funding through DOER’s Green Communities program.
State agencies and public higher education campuses have made significant clean energy and sustainability progress. This includes collectively installing more than 34 megawatts of solar PV on state property, reducing fuel oil use by more than 93 percent, acquiring more than 460 zero emission vehicles for the state fleet while installing more than 465 electric vehicle charging stations with more than 825 ports, and much more.
On the municipal side, 298 of Massachusetts’ 351 cities and towns hold a Green Communities designation. The Green Communities have reduced lifetime energy costs by an estimated $237 million to date. Nearly $200 million in Designation Grants and Competitive Grants have been awarded to Green Communities since the program began in 2009 to fund clean energy and energy efficiency projects across municipal buildings, facilities, and schools.
The six Massachusetts state entities, municipalities, and public sector individuals who received awards are:
State Entity Awardees
University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML) is committed to climate neutrality and sustainability and aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The university has secured more than $120 million in clean energy funding since 2019 to support infrastructure upgrades and operational efficiencies that provide long-term energy reductions and cost savings. UML has 40 EV charging stations that can be used by its own fleet and the community at large, and is transitioning to battery-powered landscaping equipment. UML has reduced its onsite emissions by 46 percent, surpassing state targets for both 2025 and 2030.
Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) is the Commonwealth’s largest regional transit authority. In 2025, PVTA celebrated a one-megawatt DC rooftop solar system and battery energy storage project that is expected to save about $2 million over the life of the system. PVTA will use 80% of the power generated by the solar system, which was supported by an LBE grant. PVTA also continues to add electric buses and state-of-the-art charging stations to its fleet, and currently has 20 active electric buses
Municipal Awardees
The Town of Stow became a Green Community in 2015 and has since reduced its municipal energy consumption by more than 20 percent. The town adopted the Specialized energy code in 2023 and was certified as one of the Commonwealth’s first Climate Leader Communities in 2025. Stow was awarded a $500,000 Green Communities grant to upgrade the Randall Library and eliminate the use of gas, which will cut annual emissions by more than 3 metric tons. The town has also installed heat pumps at the police department and town office building, and added three all-electric vehicles to its police and building departments.
Wakefield Municipal Gas & Light Department (WMGLD) was recognized for working with the Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational High School and Wakefield High School on the Wakefield Energy Park project, which will serve as a microgrid for both schools. The project includes a five-megawatt battery storage system, which will help reduce peak demand and provide backup power to the schools during outages, and rooftop solar systems at each school. The Energy Park project is expected to save customers $20 million over its lifetime.
Public Sector Individual Awardees
Scott McCarthy is the Fleet Manager for the Department of Developmental Services (DDS) and has worked diligently to electrify the agency’s fleet. The DDS fleet is the sixth largest in the state portfolio and now includes 90 zero emission vehicles, the most of any state fleet With ZEVs comprising 19% of its fleet, DDS has far surpassed the 2025 state fleet electrification target and is on track to meet the 2030 goal several years early. Scott pioneered the use of electric wheelchair vans at DDS and has added 28 zero emission wheelchair vans to the fleet. Scott also facilitated widespread charging infrastructure at DDS sites, with plans to install at least one charging station at all 250 agency sites by 2030.
Vicky Masone is the Energy Manager for the towns of Hamilton and Wenham, as well as the Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District. Vicky helped both Hamilton and Wenham become designated Green Communities, and advised the town of Hamilton on its Community Choice Aggregation Program. Vicky also spearheaded electrification projects for multiple municipal and school district sites. These include the renovation of the historic Hamilton Town Hall, which will be a net-zero building powered by solar; a ground-source heat pump installation at the historic Wenham Town Hall; and working to replace the School District’s entire fleet of diesel school buses with electric buses.
Learn more about the Leading by Example Awards program.
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