Advisory voted unanimously in favor of Climate friendly motion

A motion, especially interesting to Sustainable Wellesley readers, received unanimous favorable support from Advisory Committee members at their meeting last week.

This motion, an Opt-Out Voluntary Renewable Energy Program (based on the Power To Choose Program), will go before Town Meeting later this month. The premise is that an opt out program enrolls all Wellesley Municipal Light Plant customers into the program which will fund projects that will directly reduce our Town’s greenhouse gas emissions. Projects may include purchasing renewable energy, encouraging local solar power, adding electric town vehicles, providing charging stations, and other initiatives.  

This program introduces an optional fee of about $7 per month for the average Wellesley household. For those who do not wish to, or can not afford to participate, opting out will be easy by phone, mail, or email.  Opt out programs such as this are recommended by The U.S. Department of Energy, and exist in numerous Massachusetts towns including Newton, Lowell, and Concord. In addition, reducing energy usage would be ideal for our planet, and offset this fee.

As you may know, Wellesley did not meet Town Meeting’s goal to cut carbon emissions 25% by 2020. However, the results from The Opt-Out Voluntary Renewable Energy Program would enable the Town to greatly reduce greenhouse gas emissions going forward. This approach directly supports Wellesley's Unified Plan’s mission to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and complements the Wellesley Municipal Light Plant, Natural Resources Commission, and the Sustainable Energy Committee's initiatives. 

​Please consider voting for Town Meeting Members that will support such a motion on March 17th.