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Yarmouth Energy Committee aligns five-year plan to town comprehensive plan, eyes DPW and wastewater solar sites
Summary
At its Jan. 6 meeting the Yarmouth Energy Committee approved Dec. 1 minutes, assigned officers, and reviewed a draft five-year energy plan tied to the town 2025 Local Comprehensive Plan. Committee members identified the DPW building and the wastewater treatment plant as potential solar sites and asked the town energy manager for recommended revisions.
The Yarmouth Energy Committee met on Jan. 6, 2026, in Conference Room B at Town Hall and approved the Dec. 1 meeting notes. Committee Chair Mike Duffy called the meeting to order at 4:30 p.m., welcomed new member Barry Margolin and confirmed a quorum with four members present.
Committee members reviewed a draft FY2026 five-year energy plan that Mike Duffy said should be consistent with the recently approved 2025 Yarmouth Local Comprehensive Plan. The draft lists five tasks tied to four LCP actions for which the Energy Committee is named as a "responsible partner." Town Energy manager Christine Boucher was asked to recommend revisions to make the plan consistent with town priorities and implementation steps.
During the review, members identified municipal properties that could host future solar installations. The DPW building and the wastewater treatment plant were singled out as likely candidates for solar generation, with committee members describing those sites as logical starting points for town-owned projects. The committee did not adopt a specific project plan or budget at the meeting.
On committee structure, Mike Duffy reported there has been no response yet from the Select Board to a requested change in the Energy Committee's membership rule from a fixed seven members to a range of "5 to 7." The minutes record the committee's statement that, if the change were approved, "this would allow the 3 members to form a quorum." The minutes do not record any Select Board action; the request remains pending.
The committee also received brief project updates. Amanda Lima reported that work on the Senior Center solar energy project is continuing and said there was no new update on electric vehicle charging. Mike Ahern summarized a resident energy consultation he provided in October and agreed to add current and prior-year electric rates to that presentation material for future outreach.
Barry Margolin agreed to serve as vice-chairman and Mike Ahern agreed to serve as secretary; the minutes note those agreements but do not record a formal motion or recorded vote. Susan Starkey volunteered to lead outreach work tied to Task 4 and said she intends to coordinate with the Cape Light Compact's Energy Coach. Barry Margolin will lead Task 5, which the minutes say culminates in a recommended change to the building code (the minutes note a similar proposal was voted down in Orleans).
The meeting adjourned at 6:06 p.m. The next meeting is scheduled for Feb. 2, 2026, at 4:30 p.m.
