To the Editor:
Beginning in mid-August, all of Marion’s municipal electricity has come from wind. If you’ve driven to the Cape lately, you’ll have seen the four new turbines spinning along Rte. 25 that are generating clean power from wind energy. Marion’s Energy Management Committee (EMC) sparked the agreement that brings this renewable electricity to our town, saving the Town a bundle of money – at least $80,000 per year. Not only are we now spending less on electricity, but the power from these turbines is reducing fossil fuel use by about 12,000 tons of coal per year, or enough electricity for about 2200 homes. In a world of gloomy headlines, this good news is a breath of fresh air.
This windfall can be leveraged to save the Town even more money by investing in projects to increase our energy efficiency. The EMC has proposed that half of the savings be used to create an Energy Efficiency Fund to pay for Town projects such as converting street lights to LEDs, replacing old boilers and air conditioners with new energy-efficient units in Town buildings, and buying or re-leasing the Town’s electric vehicles when their leases expire. Each investment idea will require approval by the Board of Selectmen, Finance Committee, and/or Town Meeting.
The Warrant for the Marion Special Town Meeting includes an article to authorize the Board of Selectmen to petition the General Court to allow some of the savings from our wind-generated electricity to be reinvested in further energy-efficiency measures that will save even more money. Please come to Town Meeting at 6:45 pm on October 24 at the Sippican School and vote “AYE” on Article #5. Let’s keep Marion sailing toward a greener future!
Jennifer Francis
Marion’s Energy Management Committee
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