New Streetlights in Both Towns to Be Paid by State Grant

Nearly a half million dollars in grant money is coming to Hamilton and Wenham from the state government to pay for “clean energy projects,” according to an announcement from state Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Maeve Vallely Bartlett and state Department of Energy Resources Acting Commissioner Meg Lusardi.

In all, $7.9 million in grant money was awarded to fund dozens of clean energy projects in 43 communities across Massachusetts.

There will be $188,652 used to pay to install LED streetlights in Hamilton, $3,527 for exterior lighting at Hamilton Town Hall and another $3,113 for exterior lighting at the Public Safety Building on Bay Road.

For Wenham, the largest chunk of the money - $196,316 - will pay for LED streetlights around town. Another $11,407 will go toward exterior lighting at Hamilton-Wenham Library. Even though the library building is in Hamilton, it is administered by the Wenham town government.

Grant money will also pay for exterior lighting work at two other town buildings - $1,945 at the Iron Rail building on Grapevine Road and $7,143 at Wenham Town Hall. Pump upgrades, at the cost of $9,850, will also be completed for the Water Department.

The Hamilton-Wenham Regional School District was also awarded three grants - one for $11,220 to pay for a cooler condensing unit at Hamilton-Wenham Regional High School and $10,148 for kitchen hood controls at Miles River Middle School. Also, at both the middle and high school, $30,403 will be used to convert the exterior lighting to LED.

The grants went to some of the 123 Green Communities that have successfully completed previously-awarded Green Communities grants. The awards are capped at $250,000 per community.

The grants are funded through proceeds from carbon allowance auctions under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative. The grant program’s goal is to support energy efficiency and renewable energy projects that further the clean energy goals of the Green Communities.