LYNN — The City of Lynn has received a $494,030 grant after being designated as a Green Community by the Baker-Polito administration.
Lynn is one of 31 communities in the commonwealth that committed to clean-energy goals to reduce energy consumption and lower emissions. As a result, the communities split $5 million in grant money.
“Lynn’s designation as a Green Community marks the beginning of ongoing efforts to make the city more eco-friendly and reduce consumption,” said Mayor Thomas M. McGee. “Investments to increase our energy efficiency will unlock grant opportunities to help further minimize the city’s environmental footprint in the years ahead.
“We anticipate a projected savings of $56,000 in fiscal 2020 with the goal of achieving a 20-percent reduction in energy costs over the next five years.”
Ward 1 Councilor Wayne Lozzi said that the designation not only enables Lynn to receive the initial grant, but additional money up to $250,000 annually.
“Lynn being designated as a Green Community benefits our environment as well as the city’s residents and taxpayers,” said Lozzi, who advocated for the designation. “These persistent efforts of many city officials and employees helped realize a vision of Lynn becoming cleaner and more energy efficient, while reducing expenses through the use of grants and state funds.”
“I am grateful to all those who have assisted in this effort and look forward to what we can do for Lynn in the coming year.”
Green Communities commit to reducing municipal energy consumption by 20 percent. Lynn, along with the other newly-designated communities, seek to reduce their energy consumption amounting to a saving of 54,519 MMBTUs (one million British Thermal Units) in five years, energy use equivalent to heating and powering nearly 2,071 homes, and reducing greenhouse emissions of 20,250 tons — which is the equivalent of taking 4,263 cars off the road, McGee said.
Proposed projects to achieve this objective include weatherization in schools and municipal buildings, electric vehicles for town and school fleets, and renewable thermal technologies such as air source heat pumps.
Under the Green Communities Act, the Department of Energy Resources’ Green Communities Designation and Grant Program can provide up to $20 million annually to qualified cities and towns. The program’s goal is to support community investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy projects that help the cities and towns achieve their objectives. 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.
“The Green Communities program is instrumental in helping municipalities take action at the local level to protect the environmental and reduce greenhouse gases,” said Gov. Charlie Baker. “The addition of 31 newly-designated communities continues the progress being made by the many municipalities and local officials across the commonwealth who are on the front lines of Massachusetts’ clean-energy efforts.”
“The Green Communities program continues to demonstrate its exceptional effectiveness in lowering emissions and creating a healthier environment in towns and cities across the commonwealth,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides.
