ATHOL – Karen Chapman and Zack Kay of the Montachusett Regional Planning Commission appeared before the Selectboard at its March 18 meeting to provide an annual report on the town’s status relative to a FY24 Green Communities grant.

The annual report is required pursuant to a Memorandum of Understanding with the MRPC to administer the nearly $40,000 grant and demonstrate that the town is maintaining its status with the state’s Green Communities program. The town must adhere to five criteria, said Chapman.

The first criterion said Chapman, the Regional Planning Director for MRPC, “Is for right-of-site siting for renewable energy production, renewable energy manufacturing and renewable energy research and development, and (Athol) allows all three of those in your zoning.”

Also required, she said, is ensuring that facilities involved in production, manufacturing or research and development of renewable energy can receive town approval solely based on a site plan review.

The third criteria, Jackson continued, “Is really the meat of the whole thing. When you were first designated (a Green Community), you had to create an energy reduction plan which said how you were going to reduce your energy consumption by 20%.”

Kay told the board that from 2019 to 2024, the town lowered its energy usage by 8.7%, 14%, 15.4%, 14%, 9.3%, and 9.3%, respectively. The overall percentages were determined by looking at five categories; buildings, open space, street/traffic lights, vehicles, and water/sewer. While rates of consumption across nearly all categories decreased each year, the rate of consumption for town-owned vehicles actually increased between 2022 and 2024.

“A portion of the increase in vehicle energy usage,” said the written report, “can be attributed to the addition of six new vehicles to the fleet powered solely by fossil fuels. Athol continues to weigh the benefits and disadvantages of purchasing electric vehicles for their fleet.”

Overall, said Kay, “There has been a 26% decrease in emissions overall since your baseline year of FY09. Unfortunately, there has been a 15% increase in vehicle emissions.”

The MRPC report covered only the years through FY24, and so did not take into account the two electric vans acquired last year for the water and sewer divisions of the Public Works Department. The purchase of fuel-efficient vehicles is the fourth requirement for compliance with the Green Communities agreement.

“In the following year, you’ll probably see a return from that,” Kay added.

The final criteria is the town’s adoption of the Stretch Code, which was approved by voters at Town Meeting. Voters have yet to consider adopting the Specialized Stretch Code, which requires all new construction to be prepared to accommodate all-electric heating and cooling, while making parking ready for electric vehicle chargers.

Town Hall, the uptown fire station and DPW garage were identified as the biggest users of fossil fuel among municipal buildings. The same three buildings, plus the police station, were identified as giving off the highest amount of emissions. There are currently plans underway to improve the insulation and heating and cooling system at the police station, with similar plans for Town Hall.

Kay pointed out that adoption of the Specialized Stretch Code as a means of joining the Climate Leaders Program would put the town in a position to access grants to help pay for the electrification and decarbonization of municipal buildings.

Greg Vine can be reached at gvineadn@gmail.com.