Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
Scituate is on track to become the first community in Massachusetts to generate enough wind and solar energy to meet the needs of all municipal and school buildings.
A wind turbine that went online in March 2012 is already providing about half of the municipality’s electricity needs, according to Town Administrator Patricia Vinchesi. And construction began in April on a large-scale solar array – roughly 1,000 solar panels covering 15 acres on Scituate’s former landfill – that will generate enough electricity to meet the needs of the rest of the town and school buildings. The solar array is scheduled to go online by October, she said.
Town officials anticipate a small surplus of energy and are looking to partner with other communities to share potential credits.
Vinchesi attributed the town’s success in nearing the milestone in part to the establishment of a Renewable Energy Committee about eight years ago. She also cited extensive engagement with state officials, including Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Mark Sylvia.
Sylvia, a former town manager in Plymouth, lauded Scituate for its broad energy strategy. He highlighted the town’s success with energy performance contracting and its promotion of the state’s Mass Save program, which offers rebates to homeowners and businesses for energy-efficiency improvements.
“Scituate has done it all,” Sylvia said in a statement. “The town is a shining example of how vision and local leadership can lead to energy independence, lower bills and even additional revenue.”