Pioneer Valley
Planning Commission
Going Green
Resources to assist municipal officials and volunteers, business owners, advocates and individuals to “go green”, save money, reduce energy use and greenhouse gas emissions, and facilitate the transition to clean, safe, sustainable energy sources. Check back often as we will add resources, and please feel free to contact Catherine Ratté (cratte@pvpc.org or 413/781-6045) if you have suggestions of information you’d like us to collect and promote.
Seven municipalities in the Pioneer Valley have achieved the “Green Communities” designation: Belchertown, Easthampton, Hatfield, Holyoke, Northampton, Palmer and Springfield.
Fourteen municipalities are working toward this designation: Agawam, Blandford, Chesterfield, Granby, Holland, Ludlow, Middlefield, Monson, Montgomery, Plainfield, South Hadley, Southwick, and Williamsburg.
Achieving the designation requires meeting 5 criteria related to reducing energy use and facilitating clean energy generation: 1) by right siting for clean energy generation or clean energy related research and development or manufacturing; 2) expedited permitting of the by right clean energy related activity; 3) a baseline inventory of energy use in municipal buildings, street lights and vehicles; 4) adoption of a policy to purchase only fuel-efficient vehicles, and 5) adoption of the stretch code, an optional amendment to the Massachusetts building code that will make all new construction approximately 15% more energy efficient than the standard.
Click links below to view pdfs.
Pioneer Valley Clean Energy Potential Map
MA Financial Incentives for Clean Energy & Energy Efficiency: an overview of resources for Municipal Officials/Volunteers
MA Financial Incentives for Clean Energy & Energy Efficiency: an overview of resources for Residential Property Owners
MA Financial Incentives for Clean Energy & Energy Efficiency: an overview of resources for Commercial property Owners