Boston council hears details of Environment Department budget, launches Boston Energy Saver and climate resilience investments

Boston City Council Committee on Ways and Means Chair Brian Worrell heard a presentation May 1 on the Environment Department's FY26 budget that keeps most operating lines level while adding a single new program, the Boston Energy Saver, and sustaining the city's largest-ever set of capital investments in climate resilience.

The presentation laid out why the department is asking for mostly steady operating funding and a package of capital projects and program investments city leaders say are needed to protect neighborhoods from extreme heat, flooding and other climate risks. "The mission of the Environment Department is to enhance quality of life by protecting air, water, and natural resources, and by addressing the causes and impacts of climate change," Environment Commissioner Oliver Sellers Garcia said during his presentation.

The Boston Energy Saver program, described by department staff as the only new operating investment in the package, is intended as a single point of contact to help residents and small businesses access energy-efficiency and decarbonization resources, including available state incentives. "The Boston Energy…