LYNN — The city received $99,418 in grant funding from the Commonwealth as part of the Department of Energy Resources’ Green Communities grant program.
As part of Gov. Charlie Baker’s administration’s celebration of Climate Week, the administration on Tuesday awarded $6,309,686 in grants to 51 municipalities across Massachusetts to fund clean energy projects. Since 2010, the program has awarded more than $160 million to communities for environmentally-friendly energy projects.
Lynn Building Inspector Andrew Young said that the funds will be used to replace the transformer at Lynn English High School with a more energy efficient model.
“It’s for Lynn English High School, and it’s going to replace the old transformers. The new transformers [are] going to be energy-saving ones,” Young said. “I think it’s going to be good for the city.”
Chief of Inspectional Services Michael Donovan said that the city applies for the Green Communities grant each year to fund projects that make the city’s lights and energy systems more energy efficient.
“We’ve been using the Green Communities Act grants to work towards our goal of reducing our energy usage by 20 percent,” Donovan said. “They’re not sexy projects, not a new paint job, not a new gymnasium, but we’re chipping away and reducing our energy usage every year by pursuing these grants pursuing opportunities to bring new technology and lower energy costs, and make the buildings function a lot better.”
Young said that the city applied for lighting grants as well, but that the grant initiative is focusing more on energy systems.
“We applied for lighting grants as well, but they didn’t give us the lighting because they’re shying away from that. They go into more energy saving products and they try to get people to do other other projects besides the lighting,” Young said.
Baker said that the Green Communities grant program aims to help the state meet its goal of reducing carbon emissions completely by the year 2050.
“Supporting cities and towns as they implement local projects that reduce long-term energy costs and carbon emissions is essential to helping Massachusetts meet its aggressive climate goals and achieve net-zero emissions in 2050,” Baker said. “Massachusetts continues to be a national leader in climate action and our administration is committed to supporting energy efficiency and renewable energy projects that make the Commonwealth a cleaner, healthier, and more affordable place to live.”
Anthony Cammalleri can be reached at [email protected]
