Weymouth Designated As A Green Community

The Department of Energy Resources (DOER) has designated Weymouth as a Green Community. As a result, the city will receive a $277,635 grant for local clean energy and energy efficiency projects.

Weymouth joins 18 other communities in receiving the designation.

“This accomplishment has been over a year in the making,” Mayor Susan Kay said in a statement. “We had a committed team of individuals from across many departments, including the School Department and Town Council, all working together to see the Town become a Green Community. It is a great accomplishment for Weymouth, and it shows our commitment to reducing our energy costs and reducing our carbon footprint.”

Weymouth had to meet the following criteria to be designated a Green Community:

• Provide as-of-right siting in designated zoning districts for solar energy facilities;
• Afford expedited permitting (less than one year) for as-of-right energy facilities;
• Establish a baseline for municipal energy consumption and develop a plan to reduce this consumption by 20 percent over five years;
• Commit to purchasing only fuel-efficient vehicles for municipal and school use; and
• Adopt an energy-savings building “stretch code.”

In the future, the Town will be eligible to receive competitive grant awards offered annually by the DOER.