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Wayland kicked off the program, now several Massachusetts communities are enrolled.
Massachusetts is one of the most progressive states in the country when it comes to environmental policy and alternative energy incentives, but taking pragmatic steps toward sustainability milestones requires whole communities to come together and embrace the growing green trend. MassEnergize is a program that provides local leaders with tools to motivate folks to reduce emissions and adopt earth-friendly practices in everyday life.
According to Ellen Tohn, board president of MassEnergize, the program started in 2017 when she and another Wayland resident, Kaat Vander Straeten, got together to advocate for green initiatives in Wayland, where Tohn co-chairs the Energy and Climate Committee. “We were having a lot of success. We saved the town a quarter million dollars a year in energy costs, we reduced town emissions by around 10 percent, and we brought in $1.4 million in grant funding and leveraged $7 million in private funding to install 1.4 megawatts of solar panels on town land,” Tohn says. “But you know what, that hardly matters.”
According to Tohn, municipal emissions make up only four percent of the overall emissions in Wayland. The same goes for Natick, Springfield, and many other municipalities in the commonwealth.
“I think it’s great that municipalities can lead the charge in this,” Tohn says. “We can lead by example, but if we don’t get the public involved, we are seriously missing the boat.” In Wayland, 79 percent of total emissions come from household energy and car use. Tohn stressed that one central goal of MassEnergize (and Energize Wayland, in particular) is to encourage people to become climate citizens, and to support town-wide policies and programs.
One central goal of MassEnergize (and Energize Wayland, in particular) is to encourage people to become climate citizens, and to support town-wide policies and programs.
Apart from showing up at town meetings to advocate for things like solar energy, plastic bottle bans, or community choice power aggregation, Tohn says individuals have immense power to make change on their own and in their households every day.
—Photo by Lucas Thors
MassEnergize also connects with local government leaders who can serve as touchpoints to disseminate information and galvanize community members. “We support community leaders with tools and resources to bolster outreach and engagement,” Tohn explains. “When a program is promoted by local community sources, you see about a three- to five-times uptick in engagement compared to government-lead or utility-lead programs.”
There are so many ways to create a more sustainable lifestyle — so many choices — that it can be overwhelming. MassEnergize explains some of the complicated technologies and programs and makes them digestible and accessible. When a Wayland citizen is looking to get a new heating system, they might not know about the rebates available for electric heat pumps, or they might be unsure of the procedure for installing solar panels on their home.
“People are nervous because these are big decisions,” Tohn says. “They are unsure about new technology, or they are afraid of getting scammed.” But the local websites for each MassEnergize community contain valuable resources that enable people to learn about these changes and become comfortable with adopting them.
For example, between October and May of this year, 300 people responded to an Energize Wayland outreach campaign to promote energy audits. Around 240 people actually signed up for the audit and took action. “We got a bunch of people to get audits done and actually do work on their homes to make them more efficient,” Tohn says.
MassEnergize also offers a direct line to home coaches for electric vehicles, solar installation, heat pumps, and home energy audits. This means that an actual person can guide you through the sometimes-complicated process of greening your home. Collectively, MassEnergize has coached about 60 or 70 people in Wayland through the process of installing heat pumps, and their solar coach has supported over 100 people with installing solar panels. “People mostly just need reassurance and someone to say ‘it’s alright, this is totally doable,’” Tohn says.
It's easy and straightforward for a community to become part of the MassEnergize network. The only cost is a small fee used to set up the community engagement software and website that allows communities to track metrics like solar buy-in and electric vehicle usage, as well as share information about local environmental events and objectives. “We will really work with any community in Massachusetts that has these goals or wants to become more aware and engaged,” Tohn says.
For Tohn and her team, broadcasting the incredible innovations that have already been made in municipalities across the commonwealth is key to creating lasting change. While driving around in an electric car makes a clear statement, you may not know that your neighbor just installed a new heat pump and got rid of their oil-burning furnace.
“We want neighbors to know that people are opting into these kinds of things,” Tohn says. “We want this to be the growing trend that everyone wants to participate in.”
“We want neighbors to know that people are opting into these kinds of things,” Tohn says. “We want this to be the growing trend that everyone wants to participate in.”
Because of this, MassEnergize makes lawn signs that catch the eye of anyone walking or driving around the neighborhood. Tohn explains: “We put up signs that say ‘I have green heating and cooling. Curious?” They even include links and a QR code to the MassEnergize website.
One of the most beneficial aspects of being a MassEnergize community is having access to detailed metrics that tell an important story. Statistics related to activism, individual action, municipal action, and much more can be viewed in graph form; there are even personal narratives from folks who blazed the sustainability trail in their communities. In Wayland, 20 percent of municipal energy is supplied by solar projects that produce more than $100,000 in revenue for the town each year. “That’s an incredible story, but I would bet 75 percent of the local population doesn’t even know,” Tohn says. Similarly, MassEnergize is partnered with Black Earth Compost, a local curbside compost program. When citizens sign up for composting, everyone gets a better rate, and all that data is fed to the community engagement website for all to see.
“There is a lot of great work happening in Massachusetts, and I think it’s up to us to share the stories of these growing trends,” Tohn says. “At the same time, let’s empower people with the confidence and awareness they need to take on these challenges.”
Head to the MassEnergize website for more information or to enroll your town in the program.
