In 1967, Ray Charles popularized the song “Here We Go Again.” Deerfield residents once again are being asked to vote on the two articles which were defeated at the Oct. 29, 2025, special town meeting just seven months ago. People promoting these articles are not honoring the majority vote which clearly voted two of the three articles down. It is important for the Deerfield voters, who voted these green energy articles down a few months ago, return to the May 11 Town Meeting to again vote them down.
Here are some important facts to consider regarding the current Massachusetts building codes:
1. There are three building codes in the state of Massachusetts that each town can choose to enforce: Base Energy Code, Stretch Energy Code (Deerfield has this code in place now) and Specialized Energy Code (This code is the one being voted on at the annual Town Meeting).
2. On April 2, 2026, the following building code numbers were recorded by the state’s 351 municipalities:
• 50 communities use Base Energy Code.
• 244 communities use Stretch Energy Code (Deerfield is in this listing).
• 57 communities use the Specialized Energy Code.
3. The Department of Energy Resources (DOER) updates the Base Energy Code on a regular basis. Electric vehicles and solar ready roof requirements are being added.
4. The Base Energy Code is currently in 50 Massachusetts towns. Lee, Ludlow, Phillipston, Hampden, Foxborough, Fall River, Brookfield, and Boylston are some of the Massachusetts towns that have note adopted either the Stretch Energy Code or Specialized Energy Codes.
5. The Stretch Energy Code is in 244 towns. Deerfield is part of this list.
6. The Specialized Energy Code currently is in 57 Massachusetts towns. Amherst, Ashfield, Pelham, Easthampton, Shutesbury, and Warwick are the towns near Deerfield that have adopted the Specialized Energy Code. The remaining 51 communities are in central and mainly eastern Massachusetts. Why has rural western Massachusetts towns not “jumped on board” to adopt this new Specialized Energy Code? The State is “dangling” grant money to communities who adopt the new Specialized Energy Code. Just look at the state’s rural funding for western Massachusetts schools, it continues to be a struggle. We have witnessed time and again the money does not easily flow to western Massachusetts from the state. There is no guarantee that we will receive large grant money amounts.
7. Ironically, the Specialized Code allows homeowners to have a fossil fuel generator if the electric power goes out! Standby generators cost around $400 and large generators can cost up to $10,000. So, everyone who has an all-electric home, you may want to plan on getting a generator also, so you have power during an outage being supplied by fossil fuels.
Deerfield residents who care about their finances and the town, need to come to the annual Town Meeting and vote a second time to vote “no” on Specialized Energy Code articles. The DOER states the following financial cost information for people who want to still use fossil fuels:
• A 2,100 square foot newly constructed gas home will need to pay an extra $4,000 for electric prewiring and extra $14,920 for solar mandates with a $1,000 incentive. If a homeowner builds new construction using fossil fuels and not all electric, they will be forced to spend an extra $18,920 in additional costs. A $1,000 decrease will be an incentive that the homeowner can use.
• A 4,000 square foot newly constructed gas home will pay an extra $9,000 for electric prewiring and extra $22,902 for solar mandates with $1,000 incentives. Homeowners will be forced to pay extra $31,902 in additional costs for going with a fossil fuel and not all electric houses. Again, there is a $1,000 deduction for solar.
• In other words, if homeowners want to use fossil fuels for energy in their new construction, they will need to spend extra money to set up their new build for electric. What a waste of hard-earned money for people who happen to not favor electric power exclusively!
My point is that not everyone wants to have an all-electric home especially in New England. Drive around Deerfield and try to find homes using solar panels, very few. And remember, to make electricity you need to use about 70 percent of fossil fuels. Does it make sense to “push” all electric knowing that more fossil fuels will need to be used to meet the increased electrical demand. Please come and vote “no” on these green energy articles for a second time.
Charlene Galenski lives in South Deerfield.