New Communities Get State Recognition as Environmentally Friendly

Oil prices are on the rise and have been for years, but Massachusetts’s communities are working to make it more energy efficient and leading the charge toward renewable energy. 

This week the Governor announced that more than 100 communities have been recognized as green and given grants to continue with reducing the reliance on fossil fuels.

Hopkinton was recognized as a green community in 2010, and since that time has been given more than a quarter of a million dollars.

"Through the collaborative efforts of the Hopkinton Sustainable Green Committee, Dave Daltorio, and Al Rogers, the Town has received $294,294 in state grants from the Green Communities Division. These funds have been applied to at least 14 projects in town and school buildings  (12 completed and 2 pipeline), continuing to enhance Hopkinton's brand as a leader in sustainability and energy efficiency," Chairman of the Board of Selectmen Ben Palleiko said.

One of the projects the town is working on is the Solarize Hopkinton program which allows a group purchasing of solar heating installations in town to help drive down the price. Solar Power is one of the key ways the state is looking to move forward toward energy independence.

"By the end of this month, Massachusetts will have more than 118 megawatts of solar power. That’s enough electricity to power more than 18,600 homes, and when compared with fossil fuel-generated electricity, the equivalent of taking 9,750 cars per year off the road. Installations this summer alone are poised to be more than five times the total solar power installed in all of 2008," a release from the Governors office said.

The state's recognition isn't just based on what will be done going forward, but what the communities have already shown they can do.

"Over the years, Hopkinton has taken deliberate and innovative steps towards increasing our energy efficiency and being more environmentally friendly.  Hopkinton's designation as a Green Community is one recognition of the many steps the Town has taken towards realizing that vision," Palleiko said.

With the 17 new towns added to the green communities list, 44 percent of the people who live in Massachusetts reside in one of these communities.

“Nearly half of the Commonwealth’s residents live in a community that has made a conscious decision to buck the energy status quo and become a leader in renewable energy adoption and smart energy use,” DOER Commissioner Mark Sylvia said. “When we launched Green Communities just a few years ago, we never predicted such an overwhelming response. Becoming a Green Community requires hard work, and this milestone is a testament to the eagerness with which cities and towns large and small have rolled up their sleeves in support of a clean energy future.”