Energy & Climate Action Committee

NAVIGATION

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The Energy and Climate Action Committee was created by the Select Board in 2022 to respond to the increasing challenges of the climate crisis.

Purpose
The Energy and climate action Committee (ECAC) shall make recommendations to the Select Board on ways for the Town to meet its climate mitigation and resilience goals as detailed in the Town's 2020 Municipal Vulnerability Plan (MVP) and the 2021 Hazard Mitigation Plan (HMP).

Charge
The ECAC shall:
1)  Study and make recommendations for policies, approaches, and projects on energy efficiency, conservation, and generation for the benefit of the Town and residents;
2)  Stay abreast of the latest research and best practices regarding climate change science;
3)  Review and prioritize recommendations from Shutesbury's Municipal Vulnerability and Hazard Mitigation plans;
4)  Recommend benchmarks and/or climate mitigation goals to be achieved with target dates for the Select Board to adopt;
5)  Coordinate with other Town committees and boards to develop a plan to reduce Shutesbury's energy footprint, build climate resilience, and explore opportunities for regenerative design;
6)  Recommend programs and policies for the Select Board to implement energy goals and climate resilience planning in such as, but not limited to:  energy, built environment, transportation, land use, water, solid waste, infrastructure, and open space, agriculture and forestry;
7)  Report progress to the Select Board on a quarterly basis.

Composition
The Select Board will appoint seven (7) voting members, some of whom shall have experience with one or more of the following areas:  net zero energy building;  energy-efficient retrofits;  climate change mitigation advocacy/research;  clean energy practice/policy/infrastructure;  community choice energy;  green infrastructure for climate adaptation;  sustainable transportation;  sustainable farming and forestry;  waste reduction;  environmental or climate justice;  and other relevant areas.

Fun fact
Shutesbury is one of the 17 Commonwealth municipalities with hybrid or zero-emission vehicles accounting for greater than 10% of its total registered vehicles.  With 11.5%, Shutesbury has the second highest percentage among towns in Franklin County (Leverett has the highest with 13.4%).  For more fun facts, check out the Massachusetts Vehicle Census at https://geodot-homepage-massdot.hub.arcgis.com/pages/massvehiclecensus.