ATHOL – In 2008, the Massachusetts Legislature passed the Green Communities Act to support those communities throughout the commonwealth committed to reducing energy consumption, among other goals.

In 2010, Athol voters approved the town’s effort to be designated a Green Community. To earn the designation, according to the Clean Energy Authority, Athol had to: “Establish requirements to minimize life-cycle energy costs for new construction (suggested route for achieving this step is via adoption of ‘Stretch Code’…).”

On Wednesday, March 12, Chris Mason of the state Department of Energy Resources will offer Athol residents an explanation of what the Specialized Stretch Code is, what it is meant to accomplish, and how and where Athol homeowners, business owners, municipal planners, and other fit in.

The meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Athol Public Library, but in-person attendance is limited to 30 people. However, those unable to attend the meeting will be able to access it via Zoom. The event is sponsored by Athol’s Energy Committee. To register to attend the meeting at the library email amoore@townofathol.org. The Zoom address is https://tinyurl.com/4t7jcfj7.

“The way I understand the Stretch Code works,” said Planning and Development Director Eric Smith, “is that it requires different components regarding energy efficiency, like making sure buildings have a more weather-tight environment. It encourages energy efficiency for new construction…..But, basically, the Stretch Code has to do with increased energy efficiency requirements versus not having the Stretch Code in your municipality.”

The Specialized Stretch Code, said Smith, “is a new component that a municipality would have to adopt in order to qualify for what’s known as the Climate Leaders Program. That’s a new program of the Mass DOER – some have been calling it ‘Green Communities 2.0” – that has additional requirements communities have to undertake if they want to apply for the Climate Leaders Program.”

Athol, said Smith, has already met some of those requirements, including the development of a Municipal Decarbonization Plan, and the establishment of a town Energy Committee and a Municipal Decarbonization Task Force.

According to the DOER, the Climate Leader Communities Program “will help municipalities reduce emissions by electrifying non-electric energy uses and maximizing the efficiency of buildings and transportation.”

Reading from DOER material, Smith said the Specialized Stretch Code requires “all new buildings to be designed with electric service and wiring sufficient for future electrification of space and water heating, as well as any combustion appliance load.”

“Basically,” said Smith, “if you want to have something like a natural gas stove, for example, they want you instead to move toward electrification and have everything pre-wired already. That’s one thing required under the Specialized Stretch Code that isn’t required today.”

Adoption of the code, Smith said, helps facilitate a reduction in the town’s carbon footprint from both municipal and privately-owned buildings.

The Energy Committee hopes the town will eventually adopt the new code in order to join the Climate Leader Communities Program.

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