September/October 2025

The action issue

September 30, 2025

Your latest local news on sustainability and climate change action
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IN THIS ISSUE

Act soon to get these expiring federal tax credits
Candidates Climate Forum – October 18
Specialized Code public hearing – October 20
Vote on the new City Charter – and a new climate position – November 4
Imagining a sustainable Shopper’s World
Will we ever get electric school buses?
Briefs: Three nominations from the Northeast Renewable Energy Coalition, community electricity update, electric bill check-ups, curbside EV charging
Upcoming events | In the news

Act soon to take advantage of these expiring federal tax credits

Below are the expiring federal incentives – but note that there are state incentives that add on to these:

Electric vehicles

Sadly, today is the last day to receive the federal EV incentive – up to $7,500 for new EVs and $4,000 for used EVs. But don’t despair: Massachusetts still offers $3,500-$6,000 off electric car purchases through its MOR-EV program.

Home energy upgrades - expiring December 31, 2025

  • Air-source heat pump, air conditioner/heater: up to $2,000

  • Heat pump water heater: up to $2,000

  • Weatherization/insulation: up to $1,200

  • Electrical panel upgrade: up to $600

  • Home energy audit: up to $150

  • Installations must be completed by the end of the year.

Solar, battery storage, and ground-source heat pumps (“geothermal”):

  • 30 percent federal tax credit (40 percent in designated Energy Communities).

  • Residential systems must be installed and placed in service before December 31, 2025.

  • Commercial projects must begin construction before July 4, 2026 and meet requirements to qualify

EV Chargers

Come to our Oct. 18 Candidates Climate Forum!

Election Day is November 4. Where do our Mayoral and City Council candidates stand on climate and sustainability? Are they committed to moving Framingham forward? 

Find out at the 2025 Candidates Climate Forum, Saturday, October 18, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, 24 Vernon Street (Framingham Centre). Co-sponsored by the Framingham High School Environmental Club, the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, and the Plymouth Church in Framingham UCC-Green Team.

The forum starts promptly at 7 pm after a half-hour meet and greet. We encourage you to attend in person! The forum will also be available online (check our web page for more information as it gets closer).

Mayor Charlie Sisitsky and his challenger, former School Committee member Geoffrey Epstein, have confirmed their attendance. We have also invited candidates for City Council, including those running unopposed (Christine Long/District 1, Noval Alexander/District 5, Phil Ottaviant/District 6, Leora Mallach/District 7, and Tracey Bryant/District 9). 

There are four competitive City Council races:

  • In District 2, Brandon Ward is being challenged by Carol Spack.

  • In District 3, Mary Kate Feeney and Kenneth Weiss are both vying for the seat of Adam Steiner, who chose not to run for a fifth term.

  • In District 4, Michael Cannon is being challenged by Steven Belcher. (Cannon has already declined the invitation.)

  • In District 8, Leslie White Harvey will be challenged by John Stefanini, who she ran against two years ago.

Councilors whose terms are not yet up (at-large councilors George King and Janet Leombruno) have also been invited.

We’re open for your input as we prepare questions to pose to the candidates. Send your climate/sustainability-related questions to [email protected]. 

Other debates and forums:

Specialized Code: Attend the public hearing October 20!

This building near the commuter rail station is part of an expected surge in new construction in Framingham.

Word has it that the City Council will hold a public hearing on the Specialized Building Code on Monday, October 20, most likely at 7 p.m. Please mark your calendar for this critical meeting – we especially need people to give public comments, in person or on Zoom – or contact your city councilor ahead of time (details below).

We hope this meeting will also include a vote to pass the code. Passing the Specialized Code would reduce Framingham’s future greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels by ensuring that newly constructed buildings are either all-electric — using electricity for heating, cooling, and appliances — or pre-wired to be all-electric in the future. (Homes larger than 4,000 sq. ft. must also have a renewable energy source like solar panels, and multifamily buildings over 12,000 sq. ft. must meet the Passive House energy efficiency standard.)

Framingham is behind most of its neighbors in getting this done, even as development is surging. Green building standards have been under discussion in Framingham since at least 2022 (see “Green zoning for Framingham?” in our July/August 2022 newsletter). It’s time to finally get the Specialized Code passed.  

Let’s review a couple of myths about the Specialized Code:

MYTH: The Specialized Code will drive developers away from Framingham.
FACT: The example of nearby Lexington indicates it won’t. Lexington adopted the Specialized Code in 2023 (and in fact goes even further than the code) yet is seeing a surge in housing development. Over the past two years, Lexington permitted 1,100 new housing units — 160 of which will be affordable.

MYTH: The Specialized Code will make building in Framingham more expensive and make housing unaffordable.
FACT: The added construction costs range from 1 to 4 percent — and are falling quickly as builders gain more experience with the code’s provisions. Generous incentives through Mass Save offset the majority of any cost increases.

What you can do:

1. Reach out to your City Councilor and encourage them to pass the Specialized Code on October 20:

  1. Give public comment at the October 20th City Council meeting. (Check the city’s Public Meeting Calendar for the agenda and Zoom link as the date gets closer.)

  2. Consider attending the meeting in person – in the Blumer Room of the Memorial Building, 150 Concord Street. Even if you don’t speak, your presence will be felt.

There’s more about the Specialized Code in our May 2025 and June/July 2025 newsletters.

Nov. 4: Vote for the new City Charter. It gives a boost to climate action!

In addition to the mayoral and City Council races, there’s an important item on the ballot on November 4: An updated City Charter. We are urging Framingham residents to vote “yes” to adopt the new charter.

The revised charter includes a new provision adding a Chief Climate and Sustainability Officer to the city government – taking climate action in Framingham to the next level.

In 2024, Energize Framingham successfully convinced the Charter Review Committee to add this executive-level position.The new officer would be empowered to work across city departments, influence policy. and consider climate impacts in all city decision making – land use, procurement, finance, new building projects, transportation, and more.

The timing couldn’t be better: Framingham is expected to release its Climate Action Plan in the coming months.

At least six other Massachusetts cities already have a Chief Climate Officer or an independent climate or sustainability department: Somerville, Medford, New Bedford, Newton, Boston, and Worcester. Some municipalities, like Worcester and Natick, have a separate Sustainability Department with a department head.

Other changes to the City Charter are detailed in this article in The Frame.

Imagining a sustainable Shopper’s World

Picture a 100 percent clean-energy-fueled, walkable urban neighborhood with networked geothermal heating and cooling, solar power, passive building design to minimize energy needs, and trees providing shade. That’s the vision for a new Shoppers World created by high school students interning this summer at Framingham State University’s McAuliffe Center.

The McAuliffe Center partnered with the Community Foundation for MetroWest, the Metrowest STEM Education Network, and Mass Energize to create the five-week Christa McAuliffe Center’s Perspectives of Earth Team Mentorship program.

Consulting with green industry professionals, students in the program assessed energy needs and expected energy production for eight five-story buildings,1,000 residential units, retail and service establishments, and a performing arts/community center. They framed their project in the context of the Framingham Climate Action Plan, a roadmap the city will soon release to help reduce Framingham’s carbon emissions.

The students shared their vision with Urban Edge Properties, which owns and plans to redevelop Shoppers World, and City of Framingham officials who are overseeing the redesign. 

Their final project presentation was well received, though next steps are unclear. Thus far, Urban Edge has proposed a 224-unit mixed-use site for the Kohl’s portion of Shoppers World, which is still working its way through the Planning Board. In contrast, the students’ vision extends to Shoppers World’s entire footprint, a longer-term project.

Click to enlarge this map, which includes geothermal borehole fields, solar canopies, and more. Credit: Justine Greenwood, Christa McAuliffe Center. 

“I think [the students’ work] has already helped shape the discussion to show that there’s a will to make the project as sustainable as possible,” says Framingham Sustainability Coordinator Shawn Luz. “This is helping set that vision.”

Sama Kassem, VP of Development at Urban Edge Properties, told Energize Framingham that the students’ proposal “sparked valuable internal conversations about long-term environmental goals and community engagement…. As Shoppers World evolves, we will be exploring a range of strategies to improve energy efficiency, reduce emissions, and enhance the overall environmental performance of the site.”

May it be so!

Funders for the project included the Community Foundation for MetroWest, Mabel Louise Riley Foundation, Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, Massachusetts Executive Office of Education, Framingham State University, and the Massachusetts Space Grant Consortium.

Will we ever get electric school buses?

Framingham Public Schools will soon put out a request for proposals for 86 new school buses – returning Framingham to an in-house school bus transportation system. In addition to ensuring enough buses to get kids to school, this is a prime opportunity to introduce clean electric buses into the mix.

At the School Committee meeting September 17 (jump to 16:44), Energize Framingham members Aimee Powelka, Meghan Murphy, Larry Stoodt, and Tim Brainerd urged the public schools to include a pilot of electric buses in their request for bids, noting the availability of state incentives. Kenneth Weiss, a District 3 City Council candidate, also spoke for electric buses.

Up front, electric school buses can cost up to twice as much as diesel buses. However, Powelka noted research indicating that each electric bus saves an average of $7,000 annually on operational costs (fuel, maintenance) as compared with a new diesel-burning bus.

And, as Murphy pointed out, “As we add solar to our schools, we may even be able to produce the electricity to power an electric fleet on site, while our kids learn.” She and Powelka also pointed out the health benefits of retiring polluting diesel buses: Diesel fumes contribute to asthma and other respiratory illnesses.

Lincoln Lynch, executive director of finance and operations for the Framingham Public Schools, said he wanted to get the bid out quickly to ensure enough buses are ready for next fall. In comments starting at 1:18:38, he said Framingham “isn’t ready” for electric school buses because of the lack of a charging infrastructure, and suggested waiting for the next contract – three to five years from now.

In the meantime, Lynch and Sustainability Coordinator Shawn Luz are doing an Acclerating Clean Transportation study through the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center that he hopes would inform the next contract. “Without that study, I don’t know how we include electric in the bid,” Lynch said. 

Five more years of diesel (or mostly diesel) buses

School Committee Member Adam Freudberg suggested that the bid documents could be worded to include charging stations along with the buses themselves. He urged Lynch to be creative and invite companies to include at least some electric buses in their bid, or add flexibility enabling electric buses to be swapped in during the life of the contract. Alternatively, he suggested, there could be two separate requests for proposals – one purely diesel, one allowing some electric buses in the mix.

“I’m not looking for a place where we’re shutting down hope of even one electric vehicle for the next three to five years,” Freudberg said. He listed more than a dozen communities where the school systems have added or are about to add electric school buses in their fleets. (See here and here for examples.) “Let’s at least try,” he concluded.

Lynch suggested that one to three electric buses could be added to the fleet via grant programs, separate from the bid process, and that he would commit to applying for such grants.

School Committee Member Tiffanie Maskell strongly urged including an option for electric buses in the bid documents, rather than wait three to five years for the next contract. 

“We made a promise to our kids that we would be sustainable,” she said. “Diesel is not sustainable… Diesel is what’s going to harm our kids.” Referring to the school system’s Climate Change, Environment and Sustainability Policy, developed in collaboration with students, she added, “I’m really disappointed that we created this incredible document, and we’re just going to keep punting it off for, now, three to five years… This is going against everything we have done.”

With an eye toward the priority of getting school busing back on track, the vote ultimately was to put out a bid for a five-year contract with diesel buses, as Lynch suggested. (He had noted that three-year contracts cost more per year than five-year contracts.)

Roll call

Here’s how the vote went:

  • The main motion, to support Lynch’s recommendation to go out to bid for diesel buses for five years, passed 6-2-1:

    Voting yes: Rich Robles (D1), David Gordon (D2), Jennifer Moshe (D3), Valerie Ottaviani (D6), Jessica Barnhill (D8), William LaBarge (D9).  

    Voting no:  Adam Freudberg (D4), Tiffanie Maskell (D7).  

    Abstained: Judy Styer (D5)

  • An amendment introduced by Freudberg would have created an opportunity in the bid documents to integrate electric buses over the life of the contract or provide a different mechanism to lease electric buses. This amendment failed in a 3-6 vote:

    Voting yes:  Freudberg, Styer, Maskell. 

    Voting no:  Robles, Gordon, Moshe, Ottaviani, Barnhill, LaBarge

  • After much discussion, the School Committee unanimously passed a weaker secondary motion to explore funding to pilot a minimum of three electric buses and charging infrastructure. We hope to see some serious exploration!

BRIEFS

Framingham a finalist for three awards from the Northeast Renewable Energy Coalition

The Northeast Renewable Energy Coalition (NREC) has named Framingham a finalist for Mayor of the Year, Sustainability Director of the Year, and Green Community of the Year. Shout-out to Sustainability Coordinator Shawn Luz, who curated NREC’s tour of Framingham’s networked geothermal system, MWRTA public transit improvements, and more.

See NREC’s Instagram post, which calls out many other city officials. Worcester, Brockton, and Holyoke are also up for awards. Winners will be announced at Massachusetts Clean Energy Week on October 3.

Savings through Framingham Community Electricity

Framingham Community Electricity, a group electricity buying program for city residents and businesses, launched in March of this year. It provides cleaner electricity and stable pricing through March 2027. 

Sustainability Coordinator Shawn Luz reports that during the first four months of the program, electricity consumers collectively saved more than $268,000 as compared with the previous Eversource Basic Service.

More than 17,000 customers chose Framingham Standard Green, the default option that provinces 35 percent of its electricity from renewable sources. Just 76 selected Framingham Green Plus, which costs more but provides 100 percent of its electricity from renewable sources. About 850 customers chose Framingham Basic, offering the lowest rates. Others chose to stick with Eversource basic service or have signed up with third-party suppliers, which frequently offer low introductory rates that later switch to much higher rates.

You can change your home electricity option at any time. Learn more about options and prices for Framingham Community Electricity and about energy bill check-ups (see next item).

Energy bill check-ups

Framingham is partnering with the nonprofit All In Energy and the Mass Clean Energy Center’s Home Modernization Navigator Program to help residents lower their energy bills. This could include opting into Framingham Community Electricity, signing up for community solar, leaving third-party electricity contracts, fuel assistance, and more. Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking representatives will be available. Look for the Energy Bill Check-up service at neighborhood events.

Next steps on on-street EV charging

Community feedback is complete on Framingham’s on-street electric vehicle charging program, made possible by a $500,000 grant from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (CEC). The most popular sites suggested for curbside EV chargers were City Hall, the Main Library, Butterworth Park, and Waverly Street near the commuter rail station. The city will choose the final locations after a review by the Traffic Commission and other stakeholders.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Stay updated about events by visiting www.energizeframingham.org/events. You can sign up for email notifications by creating a profile (“Sign In/Join” button on the top right corner on the page).

Wed. Oct. 1, 8:30 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. or Thurs. Oct. 2, 8:30 a.m.- 4:00 p.m. Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) Tree Steward Training
Worcester, MA
Designed for community tree board members, tree wardens, municipal staff, tree activists, planners, and green professionals. Register here. For more info, contact [email protected].

Sat. Oct. 4, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Framingham Fest
Framingham Centre Common
Stop by and visit our table!

Sun. Oct. 5, 2-5 p.m. Framingham Repair Cafe
Scott Hall, 24 Vernon Street, Framingham
Free event!

Wed. Oct. 8, 6:30-8 p.m. Learn about heat pumps pizza party 
Ashland Community Center
162 W Union St, Ashland. RSVP

Thurs. Oct. 9, 7 p.m. Extreme Weather Events Increase Efforts to Protect Lives and Property
On Zoom. Join the Framingham Public Library’s Lifelong Learning mailing bit.ly/Lifelong-Learning-Lectures to receive the link.

Sat. Oct. 18, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Candidates Climate Forum 
First Parish Unitarian Universalist, 24 Vernon Street (Framingham Centre)
This Energize Framingham event is cosponsored by First Parish, Framingham High School Environmental Club, and Plymouth Church. 

SAVE THE DATE

Dec. 31, 2025: NYE on the CRT
Spend a magical evening on the Cochituate Rail Trail and stop by our table.

IN THE NEWS

Framingham/Metrowest

Massachusetts/Region

Fed up with ‘deceptive’ advertising, Mass. threatens heavy fines on outside energy supplier (Boston Globe)
Promises made by CleanChoice and other third-party, direct-to-consumer electricity suppliers about cheaper, greener electricity have not been met, and some have deceptive, predatory practices.

Governor Healey says Eversource proposal to hike rates is ‘outrageous,’ calls for DPU review (Boston Globe)
Eversource said much of the rate increase for this winter is to underwrite maintenance costs and investments in its gas infrastructure. If approved by the DPU, Eversource will begin charging the higher rate on Nov. 1. 

New Hampshire and Vermont Could be Next to Introduce “Balcony Solar” (Mother Jones)
Lawmakers and advocates in both states are preparing legislation that would make small solar-panel kits accessible to residents who don’t have the space, money, or inclination to install a larger, conventional rooftop array. Even a novice can put together these kits at home and plug them into a regular household outlet, sending the power the panels generate into a home’s wires instead of drawing electricity out.

Clean Energy Lowered Costs for an Entire Region This Summer (Sierra Club)
As temperatures soared above 100 degrees Fahrenheit in New England, solar panels and batteries helped keep air conditioners running while reducing fossil-fuel generation and likely saving consumers more than $20 million.

How a "cool block" in one Massachusetts city could provide a template for combatting extreme heat (CBS News) 
An environmental group called GreenRoots has planted more than 100 trees on a single block in Chelsea, resurfaced the street in lighter colors to reflect heat, and painted nearby rooftops white. The project is receiving a combination of funding from the state and philanthropic foundations. 

This invasive insect is spreading across the state, officials warn (Boston Globe)
Agricultural officials are warning about the spread of the spotted lanternfly, which has now been confirmed in more than 50 cities and towns across the state. 

Spotlight: Offshore wind under threat

Stop-work orders from the Trump administration have halted most offshore wind projects off the East Coast. Massachusetts is counting on offshore wind to meet its climate goals of halving greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and achieving net-zero by 2050. ISO New England, which manages the region’s grid, is banking on offshore wind to meet energy needs.

Judge says construction of large offshore wind farm near Rhode Island can resume (WBUR)
The ruling reverses the Trump administration’s order to halt work on Revolution Wind, a nearly completed wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island.

Blue States Consider Backing Fossil Fuels to Save Offshore Wind Farms (Bloomberg)
Governors in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island consider dropping resistance to natural gas pipelines and other fossil fuel projects in the hopes that the Trump administration will allow offshore wind farms to move forward. New York made such a deal earlier in the year. 

National/General Interest

The U.S. keeps breaking renewable energy records (Bloomberg via Los Angeles TImes)
Renewable energy comprised nearly 25% of U.S. power generation in June, up from 18% last year. Texas, California, and other states continue setting wind, solar and battery storage records as utilities embrace cheaper, faster-to-build renewable sources. The wave of green energy couldn’t come at a better time as volatile weather, electric vehicles and AI-focused data centers drive up demand.

Over 85 scientists say Energy Dept. climate report lacks merit (Reuters)
The Trump Energy Department's recent climate assessment used to justify an unwinding of federal greenhouse gas rules does not meet standards for scientific integrity, the scientists said. More coverage from NPR.

At Global Climate Summit This Week, U.S. Isolation Was on Full Display (New York Times)
At a climate summit at the United Nations, the vast majority of the world’s nations gathered to make their newest pledges to reduce planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade. The U.S. was not there.

ABOUT US

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

Have a tip for us? Email [email protected].
In case you missed it… Back issues!

Editors: Nancy Fliesler and Aimee Powelka