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AEC to push municipal decarbonization warrant article after Mass CEC feedback
Summary
Mass CEC recommended strengthening the committee’s draft municipal decarbonization warrant article; the AEC will seek Select Board champions or consider a citizens' petition before the Feb. 1 deadline and prepare language for town meeting.
The Cohasset Alternative Energy Committee discussed steps to pursue Climate Leader certification and agreed to draft stronger warrant‑article language for a municipal decarbonization commitment after feedback from the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center.
According to the minutes, Lisa Sullivan of Mass CEC explained the sequence for Climate Leader status: first, town meeting approval of a nonbinding municipal decarbonization commitment to eliminate on‑site fossil fuel use by 2050; second, development of a municipal decarbonization roadmap; third, a zero‑emission‑vehicle‑first policy (which does not require a town vote); and finally adoption of the Specialized Stretch Code. Sullivan told the committee that the text the AEC presented last fall "was not strong enough" and should be strengthened for the spring meeting.
Committee members discussed pathways for getting an article onto the warrant. Tanya Bodell said the AEC needs champions among town leadership to carry a warrant article and noted a citizens' petition remains an alternative; the minutes record a Feb. 1 deadline for citizen petitions. Action items include Tanya speaking with Ellen Maher and Tanya and Debbie Cook reaching out to David Farag to build support, while Julia Gillis will ask whether the town will solicit warrant article language from the AEC.
The committee also agreed to draft language for three items the minutes list for possible submission to town meeting: a municipal decarbonization commitment, a zero‑emission‑vehicle‑first policy and the Specialized Stretch Code. The committee did not vote to place any of these items on the warrant at the meeting.
