What had been an arduous quest measuring progress in nickels and dimes has rather suddenly became reality for the Town of Marion, as member Bill Saltonstall reported to the Energy Management Committee on Monday night that the town has surpassed the state-prescribed goal of 20% in energy reduction.
“It sets us up for a somewhat more generous consideration for our requests for grant monies from Green Communities. … We couldn’t do it in a five-year period but appear to be there in the sixth year,” said Saltonstall, who traced the progress to approximately 24% reduction to the installation of heat pumps that replaced oil-burning furnaces in three municipal buildings this year.
Supply-chain problems blamed on the COVID-19 pandemic had delayed the delivery of those appliances in prior years.
“A lot of towns started the very first year of Green Communities (2008) and have yet to reach their 20%,” said EMC member Alanna Nelson.
The statewide initiative offers grant funding that incentivizes towns to upgrade municipal buildings, facilities and infrastructure primarily by going electric in lieu of fossil fuels.
Prior to this sixth-year rally in energy savings, Marion had plateaued at approximately 18% reduction. Saltonstall was the point person for research that, for instance, led to an upgrade in Marion’s streetlights to LED bulbs and a 49% cost savings. Overall, the town has cut its kilowatt-hour electricity consumption roughly in half, from 109,387 kWh when it joined Green Communities in 2017 to 55,514 kWh in 2023.
Saltonstall reported that Marion has reduced energy use in its municipal buildings by 29% and in open-space areas by 3%. Savings on electric vehicles reduced the amount of gasoline and diesel consumption by 29%. Water and sewer pump stations reduced energy consumption by 9%.
The EMC voted to distribute Saltonstall’s worksheet to the attending reporters at Monday’s public meeting at the Police Station.
Saltonstall was also happy to report that a Zoom meeting with EMC member Jennifer Francis, Town Administrator Geoff Gorman and the company PowerOptions yielded new information that with verification, “may make it easier for solar projects.”
Pending corroboration from Town Counsel, it seems the net-metering calculations that have held Marion back fall under a different program and do not need to be tallied up in the way the EMC had been. “We have a lot of questions about that, but it’s going to free us up to do a lot of projects in solar,” said Saltonstall.
Similarly, EMC member Tom Friedman has been corresponding with Green Skies Energy, a company that does municipal projects. Friedman was given the go-ahead to send Green Skies Energy Marion’s three proposed solar locations.
Likewise, the EMC determined by meeting’s end that it needs to decide which municipal building to target and recommend to Gorman that the town pursue it for a solar project.
“I think we have to do it in writing and start the ball rolling,” said Saltonstall, who will work with fellow Nelson and Francis on a draft letter to bring back to the committee’s next public meeting for approval.
As a parking-lot canopy, the Cushing Community Center is recognized as a relatively large solar project on the committee’s wish list, while the Police Station (roof panels) is considered the smallest.
“I don’t want to stuff this down their throat if they’re not interested. These canopies are high, the low point would permit trucks 14 or 15 feet high to drive through. They’re low structures,” said Saltonstall.
Citing the needs for the aged to avoid direct sunlight, especially for sustained periods of time, EMC member Eileen Marum recommended a solar canopy at Cushing. “Seniors participating in activities would be protected from the elements,” said Marum. “I think there are more advantages than disadvantages. … It keeps the place cooler.”
Saltonstall noted that the deteriorating parking lot outside the Cushing Community Center requires major renovation that could delay a solar-canopy construction for years.
The EMC is looking for a definitive conclusion to its efforts to put a solar project atop the landfill at the Benson Brook Transfer Station.
Nelson told the committee there will be a meeting next week with the Cape & Vineyard Electric Cooperative (CVEC.) Nelson said, if negotiations with the currently interested developer fall apart, the project would go back out to bid. “It would be good to expedite that decision,” said Saltonstall. Nelson said she will tell CVEC that the EMC wants an expedient solution.
EMC Chairman Christian Ingerslev said that if the project is considered a problem, the committee should not throw out the idea but rather formulate a new proposal.
The EMC is researching solar scenarios at Sippican Elementary School and the proposed Harbormaster Department headquarters at Island Wharf, but Saltonstall’s latest look at the Marine Center plans left him pessimistic about a roof-solar project. He said he saw nothing in the plans about heating, air conditioning or solar.
“I just say we scrap that whole building and put a trailer there. When we get a hurricane, pull the trailer out,” said Marum.
The Marine Center plans call for renovation of the existing, grade-level bathrooms, but Saltonstall likes the idea of replacing the permanent structures with a portable system.
The next meeting of the Marion Energy Management Committee is scheduled for Monday, September 25, at 6:00 pm at the Police Station.
Marion Energy Management Committee
By Mick Colageo