Sustainable Westborough proposes adopting state specialized energy code; presenters cite grants and small construction premium

Representatives of Sustainable Westborough presented a proposal to the Advisory Finance Committee to adopt the state's specialized energy code for new construction and to seek eligibility for associated state grant funding.

Peter Flynn, chair of Sustainable Westborough, said the code is optional for municipalities and would apply only to new construction, not renovations or additions. He said the group is proposing an effective date of Jan. 1, 2027, if Town Meeting approves. "The new code in effect is limited to new buildings," Flynn said, adding that adopting municipalities that meet other Climate Leaders Community requirements can make the town eligible for grant funding.

Pete Dunneback, a committee member assisting the presentation, outlined the code's principal effects: it promotes electrification of new buildings and tighter energy efficiency standards, and it calls for pre-wiring for future electrification in gas projects and solar set-asides in some categories. He said preliminary contractor and developer feedback indicates the passive-house route for large multifamily projects carries a construction-premium range the presenters currently estimate at "about 0 to 4 percent," excluding land, but that lifecycle costs may be lower and that state rebates can offset a share of the premium.

Flynn and Dunneback told members that municipalities, not private developers, would be the recipients of technical and implementation grants under the Climate Leaders program; the program offers up to $150,000 for feasibility analysis and up to $1,000,000 for implementation per project cycle with a 10 percent municipal match. Flynn said the funding could be used to decarbonize municipal buildings and town vehicles.

Committee members pressed for more local case studies and operating-cost comparisons between full-electric and passive-house approaches; presenters said they are working with DOER and Consigli (the state'contracted construction analyst) to tighten estimates and that more single-family analysis could be provided within about a week, while large-building comparisons will remain ranges because each project is unique.

Presenters emphasized the code's geographic uptake: they said 56 municipalities (comprising more than 30 percent of the state's population) had adopted the specialized code since 2023 and that early adopters had accessed state grants for municipal projects. Presenters recommended follow-up work to produce the economic assumptions and comparables AFC members requested prior to any Town Meeting warrant article.

The AFC did not vote on the proposal at this meeting but asked Sustainable Westborough to return with tighter cost assumptions and sample case studies.