Stow’s Green Advisory Committee reports progress toward 2030 targets, secures state grants

Marie Epstein, chair of the Stow Green Advisory Committee, presented the committee’s 2026 annual update and said the town has made measurable progress on its locally adopted climate action plan.

The committee reported Stow received a $500,000 building decarbonization grant that supported the Randall Library renovation and a $150,000 technical assistance grant to evaluate school projects such as heat‑pump installations and rooftop solar. Epstein said the town also received state recognition as a climate leader and has begun work on a larger building accelerator grant opportunity.

Because townwide greenhouse‑gas inventories lag by several years, the committee uses proxies to track progress. Epstein said Stow’s share of households with heat pumps was about 12% at the end of 2025 compared with an 18% 2030 proxy target; the committee noted Stow is outpacing the statewide trajectory in several indicators, though transportation adoption (plug‑in vehicles) remains a challenge.

Committee members outlined short‑term actions including a proposed townwide heat‑pump initiative (modeled on 2019 efforts), the Energized Stow website refresh in the fall, and using technical assistance grant funds to shape school projects. The committee warned that federal and state program changes complicate funding timelines but urged continued local work to meet ambitious targets.

Select Board members thanked committee members and encouraged continued public engagement. The committee asked to be viewed as a source of technical guidance as the town uses grant funds and implements pilot projects.