 As part of Massachusetts' STEM Week, The Wellesley Public Schools are focusing on Sustainability in Wellesley. The first program will be on October 20, 2022, from 6:30-7:30PM in the WHS Auditorium. All are Invited to a talk by Dharik Mallaprgada of the MIT Energy Initiative. Dharik will discuss electricity’s role in climate change and what likely changes are feasible in our future. The talk will be followed by a reception with light refreshments. The event is free and open to the public. Recommended for middle & high school students and adults.
RSVP HERE today.  It’s that time of year again! Time for beach outings, barbecue gatherings, and boat excursions as well as a critical time to be aware of our electricity use and its impact on our electric rates and the environment. During the hottest days of the summer months, as we crank up our ACs, our system-wide use of electricity reaches the highest, ‘peak’ levels for the year. To meet the extreme electric demand, the grid operator—ISO-New England—turns to “peaker plants,” the power generators of last resort. These power plants are generally the dirtiest and most expensive, running on gas and oil and selling their power at extremely high rates. Peaker plants are only necessary for the highest demand hours, about 2 – 7% of the year in full. In the graph below, you can see how the grid ramps up power from oil and gas peaker plants as electric demand grows. As demand grows, price skyrockets. At last summer’s price peak on June 30, wholesale electric prices per MWh were over ten times the average for the year. Peak hours have such a big impact on our electricity costs, that thirty percent of our electric bill is directly related to the amount of electricity Wellesley uses for just one hour during the entire year. That one hour is called the peak demand hour. Peak electricity is expensive and dirty—but you can help. Sustainable Wellesley and the Wellesley Municipal Light Plant (WMLP) encourage you to join the campaign to “shave the peak” this summer. The WMLP can usually predict when peak events will occur a day in advance, so you can plan to reduce demand during the hours of highest electric use. Sign up for Shave the Peak alerts and receive notifications through email (send an email to shavethepeak@wellesleyma.gov with the subject and body blank), or follow them on Twitter, @MLPWellesley, to know when an electric demand peak is anticipated. Then it’s as easy as turning up your AC thermostat a few degrees or delaying usage of electrical appliances such as car chargers, dehumidifiers, pool filters, or clothes dryers until after the peak. This minimal commitment offers you an opportunity to practice mindfulness not only for yourself but the environment too. Help us meet our goal of reducing peak demand below our historic level! You can also track our campaign to reduce our peak on the WMLP website: Shave-the-Peak. After each peak event you can see how we did compared to our goal. Get your friends and family to join our campaign, and watch our peak shrink as your savings grow and Earth benefits.
 The Wellesley Recycling & Disposal Facility (RDF) is supplying food waste collection starter kits for your kitchen in an effort to increase food waste diversion from residential trash. Collecting your food waste separately keeps it out of a landfill and creates clean energy; furthermore, it’s easy.
Call the RDF ahead of time to reserve your no cost kit at 781-235-7600 x3345. Then, simply put all of your food waste (bones too!) in your bin at home. Then place it in the the green totters marked "FOOD WASTE" located by the trash compactors at the RDF. The food waste is then taken to a facility where it is turned into clean energy. So get your kit and start diverting food waste today! Get Off Of Gas To Improve Your Home & Your Health - Mass Climate Action Network Speaks 11/198/29/2021
 Did you know that 56% of emissions in Wellesley come from our buildings, and more than 50% of those building emissions come from our homes?
How can we change that? Get inspired by Sarah Dooling, Executive Director of the Mass Climate Action Network, at her "Better Buildings, Healthy Communities" presentation on November 19th at 7pm. Register here. There are many opportunities for Wellesley residents to moving off of gas and move towards electrification which has numerous benefits including:
Let us know how you have, or plan to transform your building from a polluter to a healthy and environmental protector. The best way to do that is switch out fossil fuel heating sources. Thus if you, neighbor, friend, work colleague or family member is considering replacing/buying a heater, have them come to this event and/or call the Wellesley's Municipal Light Plant to learn about their Clean Comfort air source heat pump and other incentives initaitves. |
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