Congratulations to the Town of Rowley for being designated as a Green Community! Rowley joins 12 other Merrimack Valley Planning Commission communities committed to reducing municipal energy consumption by 20% over five years. Governor Charlie Baker and Lt. Governor Karyn Polito announced 9 new cities and towns committed to implementing clean energy projects, bringing the total designated Green Communities to 280 state-wide.

To earn the Green Community designation this new group of nine cities and towns have committed to reducing their energy consumption amounting to savings of 86,875 MMBtus in five years. That is the energy use equivalent to heating and powering nearly 673 homes, and reducing GHG emissions of 5,804 tons; the equivalent to taking 1,222 cars off the road!

Proposed projects include weatherization in schools and municipal buildings, electric vehicles for town and school fleets, and renewable thermal technologies such as air source heat pumps. Rowley will receive over $136,000 to aid them with energy reduction strategies identified as part of energy audits conducted at each of its municipal buildings.

Find the State’s original press release here. For more information about MVPC’s Environment program and the work we conduct in energy planning and resilience, check out our program page.