DAC discusses town renewable pledge, landfill solar options, battery-storage code gaps and biodigester grants

Committee members reviewed the town’s 2020 pledge to reach 100% municipal electric energy by 2035 and discussed how the installation of a municipal solar array in fall 2020 fits into that timeline.

Members discussed options to expand solar use — including planning for community solar and using unbuilt landfill areas for ground-mounted panels — and noted local zoning currently places significant restrictions on ground-mounted solar installations to avoid neighbor disputes. One longtime participant said past decisions limited ground solar because vegetative growth could later shade neighbors’ panels.

The committee noted the town lacks explicit zoning language for battery energy storage and that businesses and residents have asked for clearer code provisions covering battery installations. Members said businesses sometimes seek to buy or lease land in the area to build ground-mounted solar projects, and the committee asked planning staff to clarify which projects could be permitted under existing code.

The committee also discussed a greenhouse-gas inventory, possible Clean Energy Communities grants to support that work, and a separate topic of residential food-scrap collection and biodigesters. Members noted grant programs have supported biodigester pilots in other municipalities and discussed repurposing industrial equipment for local biodigester use; Scarsdale, New York, was mentioned as a local example of a staged biodigester rollout.

Finally, the committee highlighted a recent grant for electric landscaping equipment and discussed showcasing that equipment at a future sustainability event in town parks.

Ending: Committee members asked planning staff to compile current code language for ground solar and battery storage, gather data on solar-array output since 2020, and return with grant and inventory options at a future meeting.