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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.