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Energy Action Committee
Town Hall, 1-5-10, 1905
John Curchwood (JC) Vern Larkin (VL), Pam Harty (PaH)
Paul Heanue (PH), Otto Harling (OH), James Sharkansky (JS)
- OH: discusses Hull’s financial report on their wind turbines, Cape Wind and his thoughts on the likelihood of building a wind turbine in Hingham
- PaH: passes out agenda and minutes
OH: motion to accept minutes
JS: second
All in favor: unanimous
- discussion starts on developing goals
OH: reviews prior accomplishments and suggests we can do more by focusing on things that line up with mission statement and are attainable.
VL: good place to start is by examining old goals and how successful w/ them
PaH: discusses old goals (see http://www.hingham-ma.gov/Committees/Energy_Pol icy/towngov_comm_energy.html )
PaH: discussed committee considering advising Hingham to adopt the “stretch building code” which requires new construction to be more energy efficient. Recalls hearing new code to be very close to “stretch codes”* and describes performance contracting for newer members- what it is and where we are with it.
OH: our efforts w/ performance contracting is good but what else should we be working on
PaH: home energy efficiency matters, periodic newspaper articles?
VL: CoolMass?
PaH: the light company’s pilot w/ Grounded Power could address home energy efficiency
VL: trying to find something that will catch fire
PaH: I’ll chase Cape Cod Compact to see what they’re doing
PH: I’ll email what I have for Grounded Power
PaH: I’ll check to see if there are tax incentives for someone if they build to a particular efficiency
JC: at point of sale, assign an efficiency value to a house being sold
JS: there are filters that can be installed to trucks and cars which will improve fuel efficiency, I’ll get info from Go2 in Woburn.
A discussion ensued about school buses and how to improve their fuel efficiency- i.e., reduce the numbers of bus stops
OH: let’s reach out to other towns’ energy committees to see what sorts of things they’ve done.
PaH: would/could an MTC type fund be administered through HMLP?
PH: under consideration, discussed at last HMLP board meeting and will be discussed at next meeting.
OH: motion to encourage HMLP board to consider moving to a MTC type scenario
PaH: 2nd
All in favor: unanimous
Meeting adjourned at 2105
* (per handout- stretch is 20% more efficient, http://www.mass.gov/Eeops/docs/dps/inf/stretch_code_overview_jun05_09.pdf )