City of Lynn designated as Green Community by state

Mayor McGee Announces the City of Lynn’s Designation as a Green Community

LYNN, MA – Mayor McGee announces that The Baker-Polito Administration today announced Lynn’s designation as a Green Community. There were 31 Massachusetts cities and towns designated as Green Communities, committing to clean energy goals to reduce energy consumption and lower emissions, and are now eligible for grants totaling $5 million.

The 271 Green Communities range from the Berkshires to Cape Cod and are home to 84 percent of Massachusetts’ population in municipalities as large as Boston and as small as Aquinnah. All Green Communities commit to reducing municipal energy consumption by 20 percent each, and this new group of 31 cities and towns have committed to reduce their energy consumption amounting to savings of 54,519 MMBtus in five years, energy use equivalent to heating and powering nearly 2,071 homes, and reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of 20,250 tons, equivalent to taking 4,263 cars off the road. Proposed projects include weatherization in schools and municipal buildings, electric vehicles for town and school fleets, and renewable thermal technologies such as air source heat pumps.

“Lynn’s designation as a Green Community marks the beginning of ongoing efforts to make the City more eco-friendly and reduce consumption. Investments to increase our energy efficiency will unlock grant opportunities to help further minimize the city’s environmental footprint in the years ahead”, said Mayor Thomas M. McGee. “We anticipate a projected savings of $56,000 in fiscal year 2020 with the goal of achieving a 20% reduction in energy costs over the next 5 years.

“Under the Green Communities Act, DOER’s Green Communities Designation and Grant Program can provide up to $20 million annually to qualified cities and towns. The goal of the Designation Grant Program is to support communities’ investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy projects that further the clean energy goals determined by the designated communities. Initial designation grants are based on a $125,000 base for each designated Green Community, plus additional amounts tied to per capita income and population.

Funding for these grants is available through proceeds from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) and Alternative Compliance Payments (ACP) paid by retail electric suppliers that do not meet their Renewable Portfolio Standard compliance obligations through the purchase of Renewable Energy Certificates.