Five towns in Franklin and Hampshire counties recently designated Green Communities were awarded grants from the state Department of Energy Resources to complete projects to improve their energy efficiency.
The newly designated towns are Heath, Colrain and Charlemont in Franklin County and Westhampton and Worthington in Hampshire County. There are now 240 towns in the state with Green Community status.
On Thursday, the Energy Department presented checks at gatherings in Colrain and Westhampton of roughly $130,000 each: Charlemont, $129,074; Heath, $129,582; Colrain, $129,042; Westhampton, $129,135 and Worthington, $128,495. After this money runs out, towns can apply for competitive Green Communities grants.
The Green Communities program was established by the Green Communities Act several years ago.
To secure Green Community status, towns must pledge to cut their energy use by 20 percent over five years. Towns can show how they will cut output in a variety of ways, for example by adjusting zoning laws to encourage solar panel installations. After receiving the designation, towns must adhere to several rules, among them: requiring that they purchase fuel-efficient municipal vehicles and build eco-friendly municipal, commercial and industrial buildings, plus residences if they exceed 3,000 square feet.
For example, Heath plans to make a few changes including installing storm windows and energy-efficient light fixtures in certain municipal buildings, Town Coordinator Kara Leistyna said. Heath’s designation is the product of roughly eight years of work, Leistyna said, adding that the town’s designation is “wonderful” and will help to reduce both pollution output and energy costs.
Meanwhile, Colrain plans to target the town’s elementary school, as the building is vastly inefficient, comprising roughly half of the town’s energy use, according to Energy Committee member Jonathan Lagreze. A University of Massachusetts class examined the school earlier in the year and determined several ways the building could improve its efficiency.
Several Colrain residents created the town’s Energy Committee in 2016 with a view to combat global warming by improving the town’s efficiency, Chair Elizabeth Erickson said Thursday.
“We want to reduce pollution in Colrain,” Erickson said.
Leistyna and Erickson both said they received significant assistance from the Franklin Regional Council of Governments in applying and securing Green Communities status.
Reach Grace Bird at gbird@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 280.