FinCom supports pursuing Green Commnity designation
The Harvard Energy Advisory Committee (HEAC) presented a letter of request for formal support from the Finance Committee in pursuit of a “green community” designation, which would make the town eligible for funds available for energy efficiency programs from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) as part of the state’s Green Communities Act.
DOER is accepting applications for fiscal 2011 Green Community status until Nov. 19; such a designation allows towns to apply for a share of $10 million in grants which, Finance Committee members agreed, might provide Harvard with between $100,000 and $160,000 per year for energy-efficiency programs.
To become an official Green Community, a town must meet five criteria:
- Provide as-of-right siting in designated locations for renewable/alternative energy generation, research and development, or manufacturing facilities
- Adopt an expedited application and permit process for as-of-right energy facilities
- Establish benchmarks for energy use and develop a plan to reduce baseline by 20 percent within five years
- Purchase only fuel-efficient vehicles
- Set requirements to minimize life-cycle energy costs for new construction; one way to meet these requirements is to adopt the new Board of Building Regulations and Standards (BBRS) Stretch Code
After a lengthy discussion of the criteria for meeting the green community designation, the Finance Committee voted unanimously to support the efforts of the HEAC to pursue the designation.
