Marblehead may soon check off the final boxes to gain official recognition as a “Green Community,” opening the door to a state grant program that has awarded $54 million for energy conservation and decarbonization projects over the past 15 years.
But this is yet another area where the town’s noncompliance with the MBTA Communities Act may prevent the town from reaping the full benefits of attaining Green Community status.
At the Aug. 13 Select Board meeting, Sustainability Coordinator Logan Casey gave an overview of the state program and discussed a draft fuel-efficient vehicle procurement policy for town departments, the adoption of which is one of three tasks that remain before the town can submit its Green Communities application.
Another of those tasks is in the Light Commission’s purview: adopting a renewable energy surcharge, which would add $5 or $6 per year to the electric bills of the average family of four, Casey explained. Discussions with the commission are ongoing, he noted.
The vast majority of Massachusetts cities and towns — 298 out of 351 — have already earned the Green Community designation. Marblehead is late to the party through no fault of its own, Casey told the Current, as the town only recently became eligible to apply.
“Since Marblehead has a municipal light plant and does not get service from the state’s investor-owned utilities, there wasn’t technically a way for us to enter into the program until late 2022, and the final regulations weren’t officially approved until March 2024,” he explained.
The first Green Communities were designated in 2010, and more than 30 of those communities have received more than $1 million in aid since receiving their designation, according to Casey.
Cities and towns can use the funds they receive on any number of energy conservation measures, including weatherization, insulation, HVAC equipment, lighting and building controls, electric vehicles and charging stations, and technical support and training.
Upon earning their Green Community designation, cities and towns become immediately eligible to receive an initial award of $150,000 to $170,000, Casey explained. Then every six months, municipalities are invited to submit proposals for competitive grants, with up to $225,000 available in each round of funding.
But when the board opened the floor for public comment, Bayview Road resident Isaac Chute asked the million-dollar — or at least several-hundred-thousand-dollar — question: Would the town still be eligible for those Green Communities grants, given its noncompliance with G.L.c. 40A, §3A?
Casey replied that the state Department of Energy Resources would “definitely consider” MBTA Communities Act noncompliance when reviewing applications to the semiannual competitive grant program, suggesting that the town would be out of luck.
The initial $150,000-plus designation grant is in more of a “gray area,” Casey added. He pledged to seek out more definitive guidance from state officials and provide an update when the topic is revisited at a future Select Board meeting.
The next deadline to apply for Green Community status is December, and Casey believes the town will be able to meet that deadline. But Chair Dan Fox suggested that the town may want to consider the complication presented by the MBTA Communities Act noncompliance, in terms of when the town files its Green Communities application.
Vehicle policy
Under the draft fuel-efficient vehicle procurement policy, town departments would be directed to purchase “the most sustainable vehicle option,” be it a fully electric or hybrid vehicle, as “non-exempt” municipal vehicles are being replaced.
Vehicles that would be exempt from the policy would include heavy-duty vehicles, like fire trucks, ambulances and public works vehicles.
Instead, the policy would target light-duty vehicles, which comprise about half of the town’s 178-vehicle fleet, Casey reported. The town had already embraced the concept of a “a zero-emission municipal fleet policy” in its 2023 Net Zero Roadmap, Casey noted.
Transitioning away from gas-powered vehicles would not only save money on fuel, but it would also improve local air quality and public health, Casey said. Electric and hybrid vehicles also typically require less maintenance than their conventional counterparts, Casey added.
If adopted, the policy would take effect in fiscal year 2027, which begins July 1, 2026.
Casey also briefly touched on the other box the town would need to check to apply to be a Green Community: creating an energy reduction plan. The plan would be composed of building-specific strategies and projects to reduce energy use. A consultant, PowerOptions, is in the process of developing a draft plan, which should be ready for review in October, Casey said.
The purpose of Casey’s presentation was to introduce the concepts, solicit feedback on the draft vehicle policy and answer board members’ initial questions.
In response to a question from board member Erin Noonan, Casey reported that the town currently has two fully electric vehicles, while hybrid Ford Interceptors make up a significant portion of the Marblehead Police Department’s fleet.
Board members, Casey and Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer discussed both the up-front cost of purchasing electric or hybrid vehicles and the cost to keep them fueled. While federal tax credits for purchasing EVs may be going away, the Massachusetts Offers Rebates for Electric Vehicles, or MOR-EV, program should be here to stay, Casey noted.
Kezer noted that the cost of fueling his personal EV is about one-third the cost of gassing up his previous conventional vehicle.
