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Newsletter from the City of Somerville's Office of Sustainability and Environment
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Somerville launches 2020 Community Choice Electricity Program with more renewable electricity

On November 18th, Mothers Out Front delivered over 700 postcards from Somerville residents to Mayor Curtatone voicing their support for renewable electricity through Somerville's Community Choice Electricity (CCE) program. The current term of Somerville Community Choice Electricity (CCE) ends in December 2019.  In January 2020, the program will begin a new 35-month term that will have a lower price and twice as much additional renewable electricity. Also starting in January the City of Somerville will procure 16% of its municipal electricity usage from renewable sources. You can watch the video of the 2020 launch here

The current Somerville CCE program has provided electricity rates that have been lower than the Eversource rate for the entire 30-month duration of the program. This has saved residential customers  $3,023,614 total or approximately $130 per household, and small commercial customers have saved $1,281,714. In addition, Somerville CCE customers have helped to purchase approximately 9,200 MWh of extra renewable energy annually, which is equal to the output of 2 wind turbines you might see around New England (1.5 MW each).

The new program which will begin in January 2020 will have a lower default rate than the current program and will double the amount of extra local renewable electricity from 5% to 10%.This amount is in addition to the renewable electricity that Eversource is required to provide. In early December, an informational mailer will be sent to all Somerville electricity customers, except those who have already opted out of the program. An upgraded website will launch in conjunction with the mailer.

Community Choice Electricity is a bulk-buying program that was authorized by law in Massachusetts in 1997.  By grouping accounts together, municipalities may be able to obtain lower prices. In 2015, the Somerville Board of Aldermen voted to authorize municipal aggregation.  In 2017, the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities approved Somerville’s plan to create an aggregation program that provided additional renewable energy to customers. 

Come celebrate the first cohort of Somerville Climate Forward Ambassadors on December 12th

The first cohort of Somerville residents to participate in the Somerville Climate Forward Ambassadors program has been busy learning about climate change and developing community focused projects over the past six months. All members of the public are invited to join them on December 12th at 6 P.M. at the Somerville Central Library Auditorium to celebrate the completion of the climate ambassadors’ program, learn about the City of Somerville’s commitment to climate action, and to hear short presentations by the ambassadors about their local climate-related projects. Light refreshments will be served. RSVP here if you plan on attending. RSVPs are encouraged but not required. 

The Somerville Office of Sustainability and Environment will be running a second round of the Climate Forward Ambassadors program starting in early 2020. More information about the program and what to expect will be shared at the December 12th event, so residents who are interested in participating in the 2020 program are encouraged to attend. Stay tuned to this newsletter and other City of Somerville communication channels about the 2020 schedule and application process.
Keep an eye on your mail for a new postcard with helpful reminders about recycling rules and common recycling mistakes. If you're not sure which bin to put an item in, ask the Waste Wizard at somervillema.gov/wizard.

Get ready for winter: tips for staying warm and saving energy

Building owners: Want to lower your fossil fuel use this heating season?
If you have taken steps to weatherize your home, consider supplementing your current heating system with air source heat pumps, an energy-efficient renewable thermal technology. Learn more about the technology, current incentives, and compare costs through the Massachusetts Center Energy Center.
 
Renters: Looking for lease-friendly ways to make your apartment cozier in the winter?
  1. Lock your windows to help prevent air leaks.
  2. Move obstructions away from vents and radiators so that heating, cooling, and air flow are not blocked.
  3. Install door sweeps and plastic wrap on the windows to minimize air leaks. You can purchase door sweeps or make your own!
  4. Check out Step 1 on the Road to Net Zero for more energy-efficiency tips for renters.

News & Updates

  • Mayor Curtatone speaks in support of fossil fuel divestment and a carbon-free electric grid - On November 18, Mayor Curtatone provided testimony to the the Joint Committee on Public Service for the Local Option Divestment bill (H.3662/S.636) in support of legislation that would allow the Somerville Retirement System to divest from fossil fuels.  Later that morning, the Mayor joined the Sierra Club, Environment MA, Senator Jamie Eldridge, and New Bedford Mayor Mitchell in calling for bold action at the state level to transition a 100% carbon free grid, as well as homes and transportation.  
 
  • Seeking responses on grocery access survey - Shape Up Somerville wants to know more about how you get to the grocery store and hear your thoughts on several options to make grocery shopping easier. Fill out our 10 minute survey for a chance to win a $50 gift card and help the City create a program that will make healthy groceries more accessible and more affordable. Survey can be found at bit.ly/somervillegroceries. Contact Lisa Robinson with any questions: sus@somervillema.gov.   

Upcoming Events & Deadlines

  • Sunday, November 24 - Deadline Extended: Somerville Seeking Residents to Serve on City’s Urban Forestry Committee. The City of Somerville is currently seeking applicants for a member of the public with expertise in urban forestry to join the Urban Forestry Committee, as well as a youth member for the Committee. The Committee’s input is intended to support and guide policies and plans currently being reviewed and advanced by the Mayor’s Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development and the Department of Public Works. 
 
  • Thursday, December 12 - Climate Forward Ambassadors Celebration from 6-8 P.M. at the Somerville Central Library Auditorium, 79 Highland Ave. All are welcome to join for a celebration of the first cohort of Somerville Climate Forward Ambassadors! The ambassadors have completed a 6-month educational program on climate change and conducted small projects of their choosing. At the event the ambassadors will report out on their community projects and share their takeaways from the experience. Information about the 2020 Climate Forward Ambassadors program will be shared. This event is open to the public and light refreshments will be served.
 
SOMERVILLE CLIMATE FORWARD SPOTLIGHT 
Somerville Climate Forward, Somerville's climate action plan, prioritizes 13 action areas to address climate change. Each month I will highlight one priority and share some ways you can get involved. 

Priority 11- City government leading by example
One of the priorities of Somerville Climate Forward is to have city government lead by example on climate action. Greenhouse gas emissions from municipal operations only account for approximately 2% of the total community wide emissions in Somerville, but local government has an important role to play in demonstrating that significant progress towards carbon neutrality can be achieved today. Somerville Climate Forward identifies two action areas that would have the biggest impact on the emissions from municipal operations: 
  1. Improving energy performance of municipal buildings and setting progressive net-zero building standards for municipal buildings
  2. Increasing the amount of renewable electricity used by city government. 

Building Performance
In the Fiscal Year 2020 Budget, the City Council approved the addition of a new staff person in Office of Sustainability and Environment to manage municipal energy use. The new energy manager position is adding much needed capacity to plan, implement, and manage energy projects that will help lower municipal energy use and greenhouse gas emissions across the City's building portfolio. In addition, Mayor Curtatone has committed that the next major capital building project, the new public safety building, will be a net-zero ready building, meaning that it will be highly energy efficient and will feature all electric systems. These are just two ways that the City is actively working on reducing climate pollution from its own buildings. 

Renewable Electricity 
Recently the City Council approved a funding request from the Mayor to procure 16% of the municipal electricity use from renewable sources starting in January 2020. With this decision, municipal operations will support renewable electricity production in Massachusetts, just like the Community Choice Electricity program does at the community level. 

 

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

Hannah Payne
Sustainability Coordinator, Office of Sustainability and Environment
www.somervillema.gov/sustainaville  

SustainaVille is a program of the City of Somerville's Office of Sustainability and Environment.
To stay up to date on all City events, sign up for the City's weekly  ResiStat Newsletter or check out the City Calendar.
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