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Harwich energy committee urges town to pursue states Climate Leader "road map" assessment
Summary
Committee members asked the town to accept state help to perform a municipal energy "road map" assessment that could make Harwich eligible for substantially larger grant funding; Town Administrator Jim Mulcahy said he would look into next steps and help coordinate staff and state contacts.
The Harwich Energy & Climate Action Committee pressed the town to pursue a state-supported Climate Leader assessment that would inventory municipal buildings, fleet fuel use and other energy needs and could unlock larger grant funding than the town currently receives as a Green Community. Chair (committee chair) explained the state provides technical assistance "for free, a person who knows how to do this, to help the town do it," and described the assessment as a required "road map" for Climate Leader status.
Committee members highlighted that being a Green Community currently yields roughly $250,000 in state support but that the Climate Leader pathway could open access to on the order of $1,000,000 or more for infrastructure projects. Jim Mulcahy, the town administrator, told the group he would investigate the program and coordinate follow-up: "The promise I can make is that I will look into this and continue the conversation," he said. Members asked staff to gather inventories (building ages, HVAC systems, fleet lists) so the state consultant could complete the evaluation. The chair noted several specific requirements for Climate Leader status, including forming or maintaining a town energy committee and, if chosen, adopting a specialized "stretch" building code at town meeting.
The committee requested that the Select Board be briefed with a concise presentation and offered to provide the state's materials and a PowerPoint to simplify the conversation. The administrator agreed to request necessary data from facilities staff and to re-engage the state representative who has helped neighboring towns. The meeting ended with the administrator committing to return with next steps and a copy of the comprehensive plan pages relevant to energy.
