Your latest local news on sustainability and climate change action

IN THIS ISSUE

Framingham begins climate action planning
City considers food waste composting, sort of
Haunted house teaching lessons on energy efficiency
Climate March recap | Geothermal update
Pushing for ADA-compliant charging stations
New grants and tax incentives
Upcoming events | In the news

DON’T MISS!

Renewable energy. Climate resilience. Heat islands. Green building codes. Where do our Framingham City Councilors stand? Are they ready to take action?

While most candidates are running unopposed, the Candidates Climate Forum is our chance to get their views around climate change on the record. Let’s hold them accountable! Join us in person or live on YouTube. Audience questions encouraged.

Please share with your networks!

Framingham begins climate action planning

The city kicked off the creation of its first Climate Action Plan by convening a public workshop on September 12 at the Main Library. The workshop was facilitated by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC) in partnership with Shawn Luz, Framingham’s sustainability coordinator.

The plan is being organized around five focus areas: energy, buildings and infrastructure, community resilience, mobility, and natural lands. Workshop attendees included two City Councilors, two City Council candidates, the Framingham Public Schools Superintendent, members of the Framingham Sustainability Committee, and more than 50 members of the public.

Attendees wrote postcards to their 2050 selves about what Framingham will be like once a Climate Action Plan is in effect. There were lively discussions in person and in Zoom breakout rooms. Topics included bike lanes, complete streets, electric school buses, tree plantings, protecting green space, rail trail usage (are all Framingham residents using them equally?), language barriers, low-carbon concrete, and alignment with state climate goals.

The city aims to be as inclusive as possible and is centering equity and environmental justice (EJ) in all of its focus areas. The Climate Action Plan process continues October 12 with an overview of the process on YouTube and at the Main Library (see Upcoming Events).

City considers food waste composting, sort of

At the September 26 City Council meeting, Kate Ronconi of the Framingham Sanitation Division gave a presentation about trash disposal and recycling in Framingham and their costs over time. Unfortunately, there was no deep dive on composting as we’d hoped. However, the presentation noted that landfills are reaching capacity, that trash disposal costs are going up (recently increasing from $102/ton to $117/ton), and that the city is looking for opportunities for waste diversion.

Bob Lewis, director of the Department of Public Works (DPW), noted that the city will soon have to find a new location for leaf and yard waste disposal with the closure of the Dudley Road facility. He sees potential for adding food waste into the mix, which would speed up the process of leaf composting, and having the DPW (rather than a company like Black Earth Compost) collect and compost the waste and sell the compost to generate revenue. This would require capital investments and six to seven acres of space, Lewis said. “There are ways to do it, we just need to figure that out.”

Can we move more quickly?

Energize Framingham would like to see more immediate progress in the interim: finding the land could take more than a year, and there is no guarantee DPW would have the funds to purchase it. In public comment, Energize Framingham’s Diana Porter pointed out that food waste diversion would save the city money and help get us to the state's goal of reducing solid waste disposal 30 percent by 2030.

“Forty percent of trash is food waste,” she said. “By taking a robust approach, we can reach that goal. Yes, it will cost money, but there are many grants available — from the state, the EPA, and the USDA. We’ve been collecting a ton of information and are more than happy to help with grant writing.”

Councilors Mallach, Stefanini, and Morales all spoke in support of composting more of the city’s waste. “Why hasn’t there been more movement?” Morales asked.

Porter also asked about the timeline for the Advisory Committee on Composting, recently announced by Mayor Charlie Sisitsky. The Mayor said that they will begin recruiting for committee membership in October and thinks the committee would be meeting before the end of the year. He previously stated that he hoped to have the committee’s recommendations in time for next year’s budget discussions.

Pilots proceeding

In the meantime, through Energize Framingham’s leadership, Dunning Elementary School’s cafeteria waste composting pilot has begun. The project has buy-in from all departments and the hope of expanding it to other schools.

Our other pilot — involving eight families of Walsh Middle School students, who are receiving bin collection service from Black Earth Compost — will continue until December. (In November, participants will decide whether to continue their subscriptions.) This pilot is bringing valuable lessons for expansion of composting (we hope) throughout the city. Some participants reported problems with bugs in and around the compost bins over the summer. Once advised on ways to avoid the bugs (bagging and/or freezing food waste and adding cardboard), families reported continued enthusiasm for composting.

ICYMI: Watch “Composting: The Next Frontier,” a presentation hosted by the Framingham Public Library and the Framingham Sustainability Committee.

BRIEFS

Haunted house teaching lessons on energy efficiency

Battle Energy Vampires and emerge as Energy Wizards! Nirasha Kumar, Energy Advocate for Framingham and Natick, will be “plugging” home energy efficiency at Framingham’s Spooktacular later this month and the Tree Lighting. There will be lessons to learn, wands to win, and victory buttons as badges in the fight to save the planet.

Climate March recap

A bus from Framingham, organized by Larry Stoodt and 350 Mass, was among those converging on New York City September 17 to demand action to end fossil fuels. Energize Framingham’s Aimee Powelka, Larry Stoodt, Nancy Fliesler, and Jenny Allen and Transition Framingham’s Mary Memmott joined the 350 group (and an estimated 75,000 others) for a short march and a rally near the U.N. Also on the bus were people from Maynard, Acton, Concord, Franklin, Sudbury, and Wayland, plus student groups from Olin College and Wheaton College. More photos on our Facebook page.

Geothermal update

As of late September, Eversource had completed about 70 percent of main pipe installation on the geothermal pilot route and was working on Berkshire Road, Rose Kennedy Lane, and Concord Street. Borehole drilling at the Farley Lot (MassBay Community College on Normandy Road) and the fire station on Concord Street is expected to continue through November. In all there will be about 90 boreholes, going down 600-700 feet, where the temperature is a constant 55 degrees F. That heat will circulate to homes and businesses through the underground pipes, and heat pumps will regulate temperature by exchanging heat from underground with that inside the building.

Customer home visits have begun, and work inside homes (installing heat pumps and ductwork as needed) should be scheduled in the coming weeks, Eversource says.

Pushing for ADA-compliant EV charging stations

Above left, a Shopper’s World EV charger a person in a wheelchair cannot reach. At right, Dempsey with an ADA-compliant EV charger, located behind BJ’s Restaurant (Route 9 eastbound).

It’s hard enough finding a working electric vehicle charger to begin with. Now imagine you find one, but you’re in a wheelchair and can’t get close enough to the charging station, or can’t reach the charging plug or the keypad to initiate charging. Too many current EV charging stations are not wheelchair-accessible.

Mark Dempsey, ADA Coordinator for the City of Framingham, is working to change that. Tipped off by the city electrical inspector about new commercial EV charger installations, he works to ensure that all parts of the station are in “reach range.”

NEW GRANTS AND TAX INCENTIVES

Electrify Community Outreach (ECO)

Framingham could be a model for innovative climate action campaigns around electrification. We’ve been chosen by MassEnergize, our collaborating organization, for a state-funded project together with Acton, Natick, and Wayland.

ECO’s goal is to design, implement, and evaluate campaigns that drive residential actions around electrification (insulation, heat pumps, solar and electric vehicles). MassEnergize will provide coordination, training, marketing expertise, and operational funds, and will use the project’s learnings to develop tools and resources for communities across the Commonwealth.

“Many communities have seen success with one campaign or another, but why recreate the wheel?” says Energize Framingham Community Lead Aimee Powelka. “Let’s share what really works amongst communities.”

The project is expected to run from January to June 2024. Stay tuned!

Direct Pay

Direct Pay, a Federal program under the Inflation Reduction Act, can make renewable energy affordable for tax-exempt entities. Public schools, nonprofits, community centers, houses of worship, and more can receive direct cash payments from the Internal Revenue Service. The program covers 30 to 70 percent of the costs of projects like solar roofs, geothermal conversion, and wind farms. Helpful information

UPCOMING EVENTS

Wed., Oct. 11, 7-8:30 p.m. Framingham Sustainability Committee meeting
Please find the Zoom link, agenda and all meeting materials on the City's Public Meeting Calendar. Materials are posted a minimum of 48 hours in advance.

Thurs., Oct. 12, 7-8 p.m.: Framingham’s Climate Action Plan
Framingham Main Library (Costin Room) and YouTube
The Climate Action Plan process continues with a presentation by the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), co-sponsored by the Framingham Sustainability Committee.

Tues., Oct. 17th 2023, 1-2 p.m.: Climate Preparedness
Natick Community Senior Center, 117 East Central Street, Natick
The MAPC will share resources about climate preparedness that were developed by residents of the Town of Natick, and the City of Framingham in summer of 2023. Info & registration

Wed., Oct. 18, 4:30-6 p.m.: Clean Energy Education and Career Pathways 101
McCarthy Center Forum, Framingham State University
For high school and college students and all educators. Info & registration

Wed., Oct. 18, 12:00 noon: Geothermal webinar
Eversource’s Geothermal Pilot team will provide updates on construction, lessons learned so far, and upcoming in-home customer work ahead of system turn-on in the coming months. They will also show a video tour of the geothermal district (worth a watch if you haven’t seen). Register

Thurs, Oct. 19, 7-8 p.m. Funding Your Home Project: Rebates, Tax Incentives
Free online webinar hosted by The Climate Reality Project with expert speaker Rahul Young of Rewiring America. Info & registration

Thurs., Oct. 19, 7-8:30 p.m. 350 Mass Metrowest Node meeting (virtual)
Share, learn, and organize to address the Climate Crisis on many fronts. Info & signup

Sat., Oct. 21, 7-8:30 p.m. City Council Candidates Climate Forum!
In-person at Scott Hall, First Parish Church, 24 Vernon Street, Framingham, or live on YouTube. More at the link and at the top of this email.

IN THE NEWS

Massachusetts

Worcester Adopts New Stretch Energy Code For Building Construction (Patch)
The specialized opt-in stretch code will take effect July 2024. The vote to adopt was 10-1.

Massport’s plan to expand private jet space at Hanscom is a climate debacle (Boston Globe Opinion)

In Natick, a ‘green hydrogen’ startup steps on the gas (Boston Globe)

Mass. can expand solar without chopping so much forest, report says (WBUR)

In Reading, a solution for local flooding aims to help the whole watershed (WBUR)
Construction is underway to create a new wetland.

Massachusetts becomes first to ban purchase of single-use plastic bottles by state agencies (PBS News Hour)

Governor Healey Creates Commission to Accelerate Siting and Permitting of Clean Energy Infrastructure (Press release)

Governors, including Healey, raise concerns about offshore wind pricing (Commonwealth Magazine)

Mass. conservationists welcome executive order to protect biodiverse lands and waters (WBUR)

Regional/National

Helping to address climate crisis, Brattleboro heat pump company seeks to expand utilization and training (Brattleboro Reformer)

A breath of fresh air in the Bronx (Passive House Accelerator)
The 26-story Bronx high-rise is among the largest buildings to ever obtain Passive House certification

Making cities 'spongy' could help fight flooding — by steering the water underground (NPR)

ABOUT US

Energize Framingham provides climate education, outreach, and advocacy to promote a healthy, equitable, and resilient community.

Editors: Nancy Fliesler and Aimee Powelka
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