Latest news with #DOER
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Easthampton recognized as 'climate leader community'
EASTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) – The city of Easthampton has been officially recognized as a 'Climate Leader Community' by the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER). The city joins an inaugural group of just 19 municipalities across the Commonwealth to receive the designation. Springfield public schools receive HVAC upgrades as summer approaches The recognition was announced at a ceremony in Watertown on May 2, where Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll presented awards to representatives from the selected communities. The honor acknowledges Easthampton's commitment to sustainability and long-term climate resilience, building on its previous designation as a Green Community, which it has held since 2010. To qualify for Climate Leader status, Easthampton submitted a municipal decarbonization roadmap—a strategic plan to guide the city toward achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Key strategies outlined in Easthampton's roadmap include: Transitioning the city's vehicle fleet to electric models, Electrifying municipal buildings and improving energy efficiency, Engaging residents, businesses, and institutions to support sustainability efforts, Integrating climate resilience into municipal operations with a focus on equity and environmental justice. With this certification, Easthampton becomes eligible for up to $1.15 million in state funding to support local climate and energy initiatives. The grants may be used for projects such as solar energy installations, clean heating technologies, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and other green infrastructure upgrades. The Climate Leader Community program aims to accelerate climate action across Massachusetts by supporting municipalities that are leading the way in reducing emissions and building sustainable systems. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
List of buildings that must report energy use taking shape
BOSTON (SHNS) – State officials are eyeing a key date this month that will solidify the inventory of properties across Massachusetts subject to a new large building energy reporting policy taking effect later this year. More than 30,000 properties currently appear on a draft list of 'covered buildings' tied to the LBER policy, which was embedded in a 2022 clean energy and offshore wind law. The policy takes effect this fall and applies to buildings with a gross floor area of more than 20,000 square feet. During a webinar Tuesday, Department of Energy Resources staff encouraged large building owners and stakeholders to review the list and make any corrections, as well as fill out a form to 'claim' their buildings. A final list of covered buildings will be posted March 31, and owners will be notified by the state. With a listed gross floor area of 519,628 square feet, the State House at 24 Beacon St. in Boston is on the list. 'Since this is just a draft, there's a possibility that buildings are missing from this list, and it's also possible that some of the buildings don't actually meet the definition of a covered building, as defined in the regulation,' Nathan Dziadul, DOER's building energy reporting program coordinator, said. Electric, gas and steam utilities must report usage data on behalf of building owners. Meanwhile, building owners or their agents must disclose information about other energy sources like oil, propane, wood and on-site renewable energy generation, according to DOER. 'The primary purpose of building energy reporting or benchmarking policies is to create data transparency in the market, allowing stakeholders to understand more about how buildings use energy,' Lyn Huckabee, DOER's consumer energy and policy manager, said. 'Also, as cities and towns in Mass. continue to implement building energy policies, the statewide reporting standard allows them to focus on implementing the policy, rather than worrying about how to collect the data, which is the labor-intensive part of the process.' Tenants, investors, lenders and building managers can also use energy usage data to make 'informed decisions when they lease, buy, finance, or manage commercial space,' according to Huckabee's presentation. The LBER policy offers a streamlined approach for most large buildings in Boston and Cambridge, which must already comply with those cities' energy disclosure requirements, Dziadul said. Boston and Cambridge officials will be tasked with sharing energy usage data with the state for buildings that already face city-level reporting requirements there. 'We want to make reporting as simple as possible. So if you have a building reporting under BERDO or BEUDO, there will be no additional reporting under the state's program,' Dziadul said of Boston and Cambridge's ordinances. Naomi Watson, analyst at software developer ClearlyEnergy, urged large building owners to be aware of potential gaps between local and state policies. While Cambridge's Building Energy Use Disclosure Ordinance applies to buildings that are over 25,000 square feet, owners will still need to comply with the state's smaller reporting threshold, Watson said. A series of other implementation dates tied to the policy are coming up. Building owners and managers, as well as utilities, face an April 30 deadline to dispute their property's inclusion on the covered buildings list. By June 30, distribution companies, municipal utilities and building owners must submit energy usage data. DOER will publish the first disclosure reports by Oct. 31. Buildings can be exempt from reporting requirements under certain circumstances, including if the building was vacant for a full calendar year, was vacant for more than half the year due to 'natural causes' like a flood or fire, or was demolished in the past year. DOER is working on developing additional guidance around energy reporting, including how to calculate gross floor area, potential building uses that could be exempt from the policy, and additional disclosure requirements, Huckabee said. 'This could mean what needs to be reported to more accurately reflect your building's greenhouse gas emissions, and how we will calculate and report greenhouse gas emissions. Drafts of these guidelines will be released for comments throughout the year and as needed,' Huckabee said. 'We expect that the process of qualifying buildings for this policy and reporting requirements will continue to improve as we gain more implementation experience.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
These 6 western Mass. municipalities awarded Green Communities grants
BOSTON, Mass. (WWLP)– Dozens of municipalities statewide have received grants to support green initiatives, including six in western Massachusetts. The Department of Energy Resources (DOER) awarded the Green Communities competitive grants to be used for projects that will reduce energy use in municipal operations such as installing high-efficiency lighting, building weatherization, upgrading energy management systems, facility retro-commissioning, and transitioning HVAC systems away from fossil fuels by installing air- or ground-source heat pumps. US Department of Agriculture slashes two federal programs that fund local food banks, schools 'Cities and towns are slashing their energy bills and leading the fight against climate change. We're proud to invest in their leadership,' said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. 'Local clean energy projects will make us less reliant on expensive fossil fuels and help lower our overall energy demand, cutting costs for all ratepayers.' 'Massachusetts' Green Communities continue to reduce energy use, emissions, and utility costs by deploying energy efficiency and renewable energy projects,' said DOER Commissioner Elizabeth Mahony. 'From weatherization to control systems to heat pumps and solar panels and more, these 42 grant awards support the cities and towns themselves and provide cleaner air and lower costs for their residents and businesses.' Among the 42 cities and towns to receive the funds are the following from western Massachusetts: Becket- $139,500 to fund energy conservation measures and a small wind turbine at the elementary school. Clarksburg- $22,857 to fund energy conservation measures, a heat pump water heater and administrative assistance at the elementary school. Northampton– $494,613.12 to fund energy conservation measures, Energy Recovery Ventilator (ERV), ERV controls and a heat pump system at Leeds Elementary School. Shutesbury- $44,748 to fund energy conservation measures and LED lighting at the Elementary School. Warwick- $143,930 to fund energy conservation measures, heat pump system, heat pump water heater, LED lighting, infrared heater, and administrative assistance in municipal facilities including Community School and Library. Westhampton- $90,326 to fund energy conservation measures and weatherization at the Elementary School. Additional information on awarded projects and funding amounts can be found on DOER's website. WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 to provide local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Watch the 22News Digital Edition weekdays at 4 p.m. on Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
