Whately Energy Committee Sets Town Offices as First Decarbonization Priority

WHATELY -- March 30, 2026, Whately Energy Committee prioritizes town offices for weatherization and HVAC electrification grants. The committee met March 30 with a Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources representative to map out a grant strategy, focusing on the Municipal Energy Technical Assistance program, which offers $15,000 to $25,000 for engineering plans and bid documents, with a June 5, 2026, deadline, and competitive green communities grants of up to $250,000, with an October round likely the earliest realistic target. The DOER representative noted the elementary school accounts for 40 to 45 percent of the town's municipal emissions but said near-term opportunities at the town offices, including weatherization and HVAC replacement, should not wait. Members flagged a cautionary example from a regional school where a boiler failure forced an immediate fossil-fuel replacement: "There's a new 30-year boiler that could have been replaced with an electrical source." The committee set its next meeting for April 13 to finalize next steps, including contact with Eversource project expediter Nick Petipas and a planned outreach to Elementary School Superintendent Darius Modesto.