Dear fellow Hanoverians:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Hanover is a Green Community!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Governor Deval Patrick yesterday designated 35 cities and
\ntowns from the Berkshires to Cape Cod as the Commonwealth’s first official
\n"Green Communities" – a status that makes them eligible for $8.1 million
\nin grants for local renewable power and energy efficiency projects. The
\nprojects promise to create green jobs and advance both municipal and state
\nclean energy goals. <\/p>\n
"I am
\npleased to honor the vision and hard work of our first group of official Green
\nCommunities," said Governor Patrick. "These pioneers are notable not
\nonly for their commitment to a cleaner, greener Massachusetts, but also for
\ntheir diversity. From tiny towns to major cities and suburbs in all regions of
\nthe state, Massachusetts communities recognize the benefits, for the economy as
\nwell as the environment, of making clean energy choices."<\/p>\n
The
\nsignature program of the landmark Green Communities Act of 2008, the Department
\nof Energy Resources’ (DOER) Green Communities Grant Program uses funding from
\nauctions of carbon emissions permits under the Regional Greenhouse Gas
\nInitiative to reward communities that win Green Communities designation by
\nmeeting five clean energy benchmarks:<\/p>\n
Adopting local zoning bylaw or ordinance that
\n allows "as-of-right-siting" of renewable energy projects;
\n Adopting an expedited permitting process related
\n to the as-of-right facilities;
\n Establishing a municipal energy use baseline and
\n a program designed to reduce use by 20 percent within five years;
\n Purchasing only fuel-efficient vehicles for
\n municipal use, whenever such vehicles are commercially available and
\n practicable; and
\n Requiring all new residential construction over
\n 3,000 square feet and all new commercial and industrial real estate
\n construction to reduce lifecycle energy costs (i.e., adoption of an
\n energy-saving building "stretch code").<\/p>\n
Today’s
\nGreen Communities designees – Acton, Arlington, Athol, Andover, Becket,
\nBelchertown, Cambridge, Chelmsford, Easthampton, Greenfield, Hamilton, Hanover,
\nHolyoke, Hopkinton, Kingston, Lancaster, Lenox, Lexington, Lincoln, Lowell,
\nMashpee, Medford, Melrose, Montague, Natick, Newton, Northampton, Palmer,
\nPittsfield, Salem, Springfield, Sudbury, Tyngsboro, Wenham, and Worcester –
\nhave until June 4 to submit applications for grants that will be awarded in
\nlate June. In addition to grant eligibility, each Green Community
\ndesignated today will receive a Big Belly solar waste compactor, to be delivered
\nby June 30 in time for the summer parks and beaches season. Purchased with DOER
\nenergy efficiency funding, Big Belly compactors can hold several times more
\ntrash and litter than similarly sized regular trash receptacles – thereby
\nreducing the number of garbage truck trips required to empty them. Each
\nmunicipality will also receive a certificate from the Commonwealth
\ncongratulating it on becoming an official Green Community.<\/p>\n
For "Around Town on the Web",<\/p>\n
Cathy H-B<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
"Around Town on the Web" is a community service
\nthat has been provided to self-selected residents of the Town of Hanover since
\nthe spring of 2004. If someone forwarded this message to you and you
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\nand last name and e-mail address to cathyhb@atotw.com
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\nabout "ATOTW", please go to www.atotw.com
\n. To search for archived "ATOTW" news, just go to https:\/\/atotw.com\/archive .<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dear fellow Hanoverians: Hanover is a Green Community! Governor Deval Patrick yesterday designated 35 cities and towns from the Berkshires to Cape Cod as the Commonwealth’s first official "Green Communities" – a status that makes them eligible for … Continue reading