by Steve Averbuch, Laura Dubester, Pat Flinn, Miles Moffatt, and Tim O’Brien the Stockbridge Green Communities Committee
To Our Stockbridge neighbors —
What Stockbridge has accomplished so far
• In 2015 Stockbridge was designated as a Massachusetts Green Community. We received $250K plus in state grants and utility rebates to weatherize buildings and install LED lighting.
• Benefits: Over the past decade, we reduced energy consumption by more than 20%, saving money for taxpayers, and benefiting the environment.
• At the 2024 Town Meeting, citizens passed a resolution to strive to meet the State’s goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and become fossil fuel free by 2050.
The next goal for Stockbridge — Become a Climate Leader Community.
Up-front benefits: It will enable Stockbridge to access up to $150K technical assistance grants and $1M capital improvement grants for clean-energy improvements to municipal facilities.
What’s left to meet the goal — Adopt the Opt-In Specialized Code at the 2025 Town Meeting. The Opt-In Specialized Code:
• Only applies to construction of NEW HOMES (not alterations or additions to EXISTING HOMES). In Stockbridge this was 5 homes in 2024. Two were electrically heated/cooled.
• Does NOT affect NEW electrically heated/cooled homes, the least expensive to build.
• The NEW-HOME owner has the freedom to choose any fuel — oil, natural gas, propane, wood, electric- but on site-combustion triggers the requirements listed below:
o Pre-wiring for future electric replacement of any equipment that burns fossil fuels or biomass This is MUCH less expensive to do at the time of construction.
o When there is a suitable roof area with the right orientation, new homes with fossil fuel or biomass burning appliances are required to install a solar-electric array. No trees need to be cut down. Solar arrays pay for themselves over time.
Why the Green Communities Committee recommends that Town Citizens adopt the Code:
• It will help Stockbridge reduce greenhouse gas emissions by being electric heated/cooled or electric ready furthering the transition from fossil fuels to renewable clean energy.
• 91% of MA residents already live in a MA Green Community which means that the community has adopted the Stretch Code. The Opt-In Specialized code does NOT change the insulation levels or air tightness of the Stretch Code.
• It is the final requirement for Stockbridge to be designated a Climate Leader Community.
• This is one step that we CAN take now that will reduce climate changing greenhouse gas emissions. Let’s start now!
Thank you for your thoughtful consideration. We welcome your comments and questions.
