Melrose Finalizes Net Zero Action Plan: ‘This Is All Hands On Deck’

MELROSE, MA — Melrose is eyeing net zero greenhouse gas emissions status by 2050.

A new city plan looks to chart a series of benchmarks and steps to help the city meet that goal.

Melrose Sustainability Manager Martha Grover presented the Net Zero Action Plan to the City Council on Monday, sharing a look at the current state of sustainability efforts in Melrose as well as a roadmap for upcoming sustainability initiatives.

“This is a community-wide action plan that impacts all of us,” she said of the document.

Overall, the plan aims to help reduce Melrose’s use of fossil fuels while offsetting remaining fossil fuel use with expanded green energy sourcing.

The plan calls for “super-efficient” practices in new building construction and existing building retrofits. The plan recommends a switch to electric heating and appliance use as well as a continued shift toward electric vehicles.

The plan then calls for more walking, biking and public transit use promoted in part by designing “greener and more people-centered streets and sidewalks.”

The plan lastly notes a need to “green the grid,” moving regional energy production away from sources like natural gas and toward sources including hydroelectric power, wind power and solar power.

Melrose made its net zero commitment back in 2016 in tandem with other north-of-Boston communities.

Several years later, Grover said last week, city officials decided that they needed a more concrete plan to actually achieve 2050 goals.

The city began working with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council, eventually developing the action plan that Grover has now presented.

Melrose, according to the plan, sees 80% of its emissions coming from residents.

“This is no surprise,” Grover said, adding that the proportion of emissions underscores a need for city action to encourage sustainability measures outside of municipal government itself.

By 2030, according to the action plan, Melrose officials hope to have all new buildings in Melrose built to net zero emissions standards. The city hopes to see “deep energy retrofits” conducted on 20% of remaining homes and businesses.

Benchmarks for 2030 include converting 80% of homes previously on fuel oil, propane or electric baseboard heat to high efficiency electric heat. Under those same benchmarks, 10% of homes currently on gas heat would also convert to high efficiency electric heat, also known as heat pumps.

The city is looking to make all new developments in Melrose accessible by biking, walking and/or public transit by 2030, in addition to cutting the average number of cars per household below 1.47.

Of all the vehicles currently registered in Melrose, less than .1% are classified as zero emissions, according to the net zero action plan. The city wants to see that proportion rise to 37% by 2030.

Melrose is separately looking to have 100% of its electricity needs covered by carbon free sources by 2030. To date, roughly 21% of Melrose's energy supply comes from such sources, according to the action plan.

Beyond 2030 goals, the city has another set of goals laid out for 2050.

“This is all hands on deck,” Grover said last week. “This is an all-of-government approach that we need to take.”

City officials have some options to directly push these changes, including new building codes and future municipal construction and retrofitting decisions, among other things.

Melrose recently spotlighted plans to "decarbonize" the Melrose Public Library during a visit from Gov. Charlie Baker.

In a filing with the City Council last week, Grover said the city further plans to install solar infrastructure on all available municipal rooftops and over parking lots when feasible.

The city is separately looking to expand municipal and public electric vehicle charging options while adopting an "Electric-First Vehicle Fleet Policy" for Melrose.

As the city eyes direct municipal work, though, many of the goals laid out in the new Net Zero Action Plan will rely on the actions of residents and businesses in order to come to fruition.

Facing that reality, Grover said that city leaders will need to adapt to a new role, which will involve “cheerleading” various retrofits and other projects while highlighting available incentive and rebate programs.

City Councilor Ryan Williams asked last week how the city would handle budgeting in the coming years to fund project management and outreach work, among other things.

“I want to see us move forward on these projects as quickly as we can,” Williams said.

He said he wants to move forward precisely because Melrose has already made gains, including widespread private adoption of solar panels in some places. The city also recently drew broad attention for its existing network of pole mounted electric vehicle charging stations around town.

"Melrose is already an example for other communities not just in Massachusetts but across the country," Williams said.

Mayor Paul Brodeur joined Grover following Williams’ question, in part noting previous concerns with state and federal funding for sustainability initiatives.

He acknowledged criticisms that increased use of electric cars, appliances, heating systems and more could have limited positive impacts if the electricity used still comes from fossil fuels.

In response, Brodeur noted more recent state, federal and regional efforts to bring new green energy production facilities online. Funding and approval issues facing those projects have begun to ease, Brodeur said, with more reliable support now possibly coming to back such projects.

"The most important thing to emphasize with regard to electrification is that the sooner we're prepared as a community for full-scale electrification, when the ocean leases go live, when the renewable energy kicks in, we're there automatically," Williams said, referencing recent movement toward offshore wind energy production with regard to ocean leases.

The full net zero action plan is included in the agenda packet for last week’s Melrose City Council meeting.