Town of Acton Hailed as Climate Leader Community for Ongoing Sustainability Efforts

ACTON – Acton’s longtime commitment to sustainability was recognized on Friday as state officials designated the Town as a Climate Leader Community.

The Town was one of 19 communities honored at a ceremony on Friday, May 2, at the construction site for Watertown’s new net-zero High School. 

To be recognized by the state Department of Energy Resources as a Climate Leader Community, the Town needed to meet a number of benchmarks, including: Establishing a committee to advise, coordinate, and/or lead clean energy and climate activities; committing to eliminating on-site fossil fuel use by 2050;  developing a Municipal Decarbonization Roadmap; implementing a policy to purchase only zero-emission vehicles (if available and practical); and adopting a Specialized Energy Code that emphasizes energy performance, as opposed to prescriptive requirements.

“Town leaders and staff, board members and community volunteers have dedicated countless hours toward combating climate change and securing a healthier environment,” Town Manager John Mangiaratti said. “Thank you to the Healey-Driscoll Administration for its strong support of initiatives that make Acton sustainable for future generations.”

The Climate Leader Community designation is a sign of the Town’s ongoing commitment to sustainable practices. The Town is eligible to receive grants from two programs:

• Decarbonization Technical Support Grants provide communities with up to $150,000 to hire vendors to produce recommendations and engineering design documents for one or more clean energy projects at municipal facilities.
• Decarbonization Accelerator Grants provide up to $1 million for projects that significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions from municipal operations. Eligible projects must align with the community’s Climate Leader Municipal Decarbonization Roadmap and prioritize reducing fossil fuel combustion, energy use, and costs. Potential funding areas include renewable energy technologies like solar and heat pumps, energy storage, and other strategies that support decarbonization efforts.

The Town’s formal commitment to sustainability began in 2008 with the creation of a Green Advisory Board. Highlights of the Town’s efforts include:

• Designation as a Green Community by the state in 2010.
• Development of the Town’s first solar projects in 2014.
• Construction of net-zero buildings, including the North Fire Station and Gates Elementary School.
• A 30 percent reduction of energy use in school and municipal operations.
• A 2020 vote by Town Meeting to declare a Climate Emergency, with the goal of reducing Town-wide carbon emissions to zero as quickly as possible, with a target date of 2030.

The Town has also made significant strides to further expand its efforts this past year.

The Sustainability Office secured more than $365,000 in grants in the 2024 fiscal year. This money supports projects like electric vehicle charging stations at NARA Park, the first Town-owned fast chargers at Veteran’s Field, weatherization and energy efficiency efforts, and natural hazard and climate resilience planning.

The Clean Energy Coaching program has expanded in partnership with Energize Acton and dedicated volunteers. In the 2024 fiscal year, nearly 90 residents contacted a Clean Energy Coach with questions on solar, heat pumps, and EV charging. The Town recently received a Massachusetts Municipal Association (MMA) Innovation Award for its efforts.

Through the Acton Business Energy Efficiency Grant Program, a partnership with Eversource, 17 businesses received a total of $102,290.69 to complete energy-efficiency upgrades. This reduced energy use and costs and saved a total of 10,219 gallons of gasoline per year.

To learn more about the Town of Acion Sustainability Office, click here or call 978-929-6600.