Sustainability manager reports: electricity aggregation launches, geothermal pilot progress and state reporting requirements

Sean Lutz, the city’s sustainability manager, updated the Framingham Environmental Subcommittee on March 3 on multiple sustainability initiatives: the municipal community electricity aggregation, the Eversource geothermal pilot, state large‑building energy reporting and equity‑focused heat and resilience work.

On the municipal aggregation program, Lutz said the opt‑out period had closed and that accounts enrolled in the city’s programs will begin with March meter reads and appear on April bills. He provided preliminary selection figures: about 70 customers chose the higher‑renewable “Framingham Green Plus,” roughly 700 selected “Framingham Basic,” and “about 5%” of mailed customers opted out, though he said final, supplier‑verified numbers were pending. “Once we get the finalized numbers from the supplier … we’ll have more definitive numbers,” Lutz told the committee.

Lutz reported progress on the Eversource geothermal pilot: most municipal buildings have been converted to the loop and a few buildings, including a fire station and several residential buildings, remained to be tied in; Fire Station 5 required additional electrical infrastructure and was expected to be operational by the end of the month. He said loop temperatures are maintaining as boreholes are added and that the city remains in discussions with Eversource and HEAT about expanding the network; a federal funding opportunity remains under negotiation and the city is awaiting final confirmation. “We were selected,” Lutz said of a federal opportunity, but noted contracting and award negotiations remain in progress.

Lutz also briefed the committee on forthcoming state requirements that will require owners of buildings over 20,000 square feet to report energy use annually; utilities will supply much of the data but owners may need to provide information on non‑utility energy sources. He said the city will do outreach to local property owners and that some municipal buildings fall under the new reporting requirement.

On resilience and equity work, Lutz described a MetroWest Climate Equity Project focused on seniors and extreme heat and thanked Callahan Center staff for participation; the city will pursue follow‑up opportunities to support seniors and low‑income residents.

Ending: Lutz said he will follow up with definitive aggregation enrollment numbers from the electricity supplier and keep the committee informed about federal funding decisions related to the geothermal expansion; no formal decisions or votes took place at the March 3 meeting.