March 5, 2025 by John Borger, Hingham Net Zero
There is another important reason to vote yes at Town Meeting April 28th on the warrant article proposing adoption of the new Opt-In Specialized Energy Code. Adopting this new code is a prerequisite for Hingham’s participation in the new Department of Energy Resources (DOER) Climate Leaders program.
What Is the Climate Leaders Program?
Climate Leaders is the successor program to Green Communities, which Hingham joined in 2018. The primary value of the Green Communities program has been in assisting the Town in improving the energy efficiency of municipal assets. The Climate Leaders program will be a logical extension of these efforts, focusing not just on how much energy is used but also on the type of energy used, enabling the Town to gradually transition from fossil fuels to electrification. Both programs feature the benefit of enhanced access to energy and climate-related grants. (As of 1/10/2025, Hingham had received $327,707 in grant funding as a Green Community.)
Why Should Hingham Participate in Climate Leaders?
The Climate Leaders program will extend Hingham’s access on a preferred basis to future state grant funding, for the following purposes:
- Voluntarily implementing best practices developed by other Climate Leader communities
- Developing a decarbonization plan for electrification of municipal buildings (technical consulting for help in compiling the plan would be made available by DOER contractors)
- Providing support for on-site solar photovoltaic panels and storage for both existing buildings and new construction
- Providing support for implementing geothermal-based heating and cooling systems for existing buildings and new construction
- Supporting identification and implementation of other innovative climate-related projects
- A Decarbonization Plan Can provide the Nucleus of a Long Term Capital Expenditure Plan
It is instructive to note that Town officials have in the past articulated the need for a long term capital expenditures plan. That plan would forecast the remaining useful life for key Town buildings and assets. It would estimate the phased capital expenditures that would be necessary for the orderly renovation and/or replacement of municipal plant and equipment, thus enabling the Town to establish the requisite fiscal reserves.
A decarbonization plan developed under the auspices of the Climate Leaders program would establish the initial structure for this long term capital expenditures plan, with the added benefit of technical support and hands-on assistance from DOER contractors, who would help develop the plan. As a Green Communities participant, Hingham has already compiled a detailed inventory of municipal buildings, along with data on the type and quantity of energy used. This would furnish a starting point for the decarbonization plan to be developed with resources from the Climate Leaders program. Thus Hingham could address two fundamental needs with one programmatic commitment – the development of a phased municipal decarbonization plan that would also provide the initial structure and key data for a long term capital expenditure plan.
Requirements for Certification in the Climate Leaders Program
In order to qualify for inclusion in Climate Leaders, the Town must:
- Be an existing Green Community in “good standing” – (requirement met)
- Establish/maintain a local committee to advise, coordinate, and lead clean energy and climate activities – (requirement met – fulfilled by the Town-chartered Energy Action Committee formed under the Green Communities program, and by the Climate Action Commission established by Town Meeting in 2023)
- Formulate a detailed roadmap for municipal decarbonization by 2050 – Town Administration would make this commitment in Hingham’s Climate Leaders application
- Adopt a Zero Emissions Vehicle First (ZEV-First) vehicle policy – this means that, where feasible, the Town would commit to choosing zero emissions vehicles for new fleet acquisitions. This would formalize a practice Hingham is increasingly adopting.
- Adopt the Opt-In Specialized Energy Code – thus the warrant article to be presented at April 2025 Town Meeting).
In Conclusion…
A YES vote at Town Meeting on the Opt-In Specialized Energy Code warrant article will strengthen Hingham’s building code to more effectively support our goal of attaining net zero carbon emission by 2040. Approval of the opt-in code is also an essential pre-requisite for acceptance into the new Climate Leaders program, which further aligns the Town with the Commonwealth’s state-wide goal of reaching net zero by 2050 and positions Hingham to benefit from the grant funding that will help towns make the needed changes. Vote YES on the Specialized Code Warrant Article!
– John Borger
Hingham Net Zero
Energy Action Committee
