Green Communities Committee
The Green Communities Designation and Grant Program has helped 185 cities and towns earn Green Community designation. As energy leaders in Massachusetts, Green Communities are eligible for state grants. Nearly $29 million from those Green Community grants is already at work in 155 communities, with nearly $6.5 million in additional grants for energy projects in the newest 30 designated communities.
The Green Communities Division staff continues to work with scores of other local government entities on an array of energy activities: from reducing energy use in municipal and school buildings to establishing power purchase agreements that enable financially attractive renewable energy generation, adopting the latest building codes, and much more.
Criteria for Designation
How Nahant Will Become a Green Community and Qualify for Grants
The Green Communities Designation and Grant Program helps municipalities navigate and meet the five criteria required to become a Green Community, in turn qualifying them for grants that finance additional energy efficiency and renewable energy projects at the local level.
- A city or town must meet these five criteria to be designated a Green Community
- Criterion 1: Provide as-of-right siting in designated locations for renewable/alternative energy generation, research & development, or manufacturing facilities.
- Criterion 2: Adopt an expedited application and permit process for as-of-right energy facilities.
- Criterion 3: Establish an energy use baseline and develop a plan to reduce energy use by twenty percent (20%) within five (5) years.
- Criterion 4: Purchase only fuel-efficient vehicles.
- Criterion 5: Set requirements to minimize life-cycle energy costs for new construction; one way to meet these requirements is to adopt the new Board of Building Regulations and Standards (BBRS) Stretch Code.