ACTON — The Town of Acton Sustainability Office is pleased to share that the Town is utilizing funding from multiple sources to further decrease greenhouse gas emissions, using electric vehicles in facilities, recreation and inspectional services and introducing a fully hybrid police fleet.
The Town of Acton received $64,515 in funding from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) Green Communities Division to help reduce energy use and costs by implementing clean energy projects.
The Town has directed part of the funding toward replacing gas-powered municipal vehicles with hybrid and electric vehicles. The Town’s fleet currently consists of eight electric vehicles, including two All-Electric F-150 Lightning trucks, one for the Department of Public Works and one for the Police Department.
The funding has made it possible for all of the Town’s marked police vehicles to become fully hybrid. This change will allow the Town to save about 16,272 gallons of gas and $41,494 in fuel costs per year.
In addition, the Lowell Regional Transit Authority has purchased a Ford E-Transit electric van for Acton as part of a pilot program for future electric vehicle implementation. The van will be fully accessible to residents beginning in January as part of the CrossTown Connect public transportation program. The van also has an automatic door and wheelchair lift, making it user-friendly for all passengers.
The Town has also utilized funding from the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s Electric Vehicle Incentive Program to purchase and install the first Town-owned DC fast chargers at Veteran’s Field. These DC chargers support many of the top electric vehicle brands and can allow for electric vehicles to be charged at faster rates, making charging vehicles a more convenient, accessible, and efficient process for users.
Visit the Town’s Instagram or click here to view a video of the chargers.
The Town’s 2022 Greenhouse Gas Inventory Report indicated that between 2017 and 2022, greenhouse gas emissions from the municipal transportation sector dropped about 22 percent.
Emissions are expected to decrease further as the Town looks to acquire more electric vehicles for the Town’s fleet.
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