BOSTON – Senator Eldridge (D-Acton) and Representative Gregoire (D-Marlborough) announced that the Patrick Administration today awarded $26K to replace the boiler at the Millham wastewater treatment facility. The Patrick Administration awarded $1.7M statewide to help fund 31 clean energy projects at drinking water and wastewater facilities across the Commonwealth. The projects aim to cut energy costs and reduce emissions at municipal water facilities, the second largest consumer of municipal electricity.
“I am pleased that the Patrick Administration was able to secure grant funding to grow clean energy initiatives and make necessary upgrades to the Millham Water Treatment Facilities in Marlborough,” said Senator Eldridge. “This grant funding is yet another outstanding example of Governor Patrick’s commitment to growing the clean energy sector throughout the Commonwealth, as well as improving the overall value and function of our water treatment facilities.”
“It is great to see the Commonwealth investing in a project that the City of Marlborough has made a priority for quite some time,” said Representative Gregoire. “I am grateful that this funding will allow the Millham water treatment facility to continue to upgrade its systems.”
“While water and wastewater treatment facilities are big energy consumers, they are also among our most important resources for protecting public health and the environment at the local level,” said Energy & Environmental Affairs (EEA) Secretary Rick Sullivan. “By providing funds to reduce energy usage and costs at these facilities, these grants exemplify the type of synergy. Governor Patrick had in mind when he grouped energy and environment under a single secretariat.”
A collaboration of the Department of Energy Resources (DOER), Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) and Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), these grants provide gap funding that will leverage nearly $2 million in utility incentives to install $10.9 million in clean energy improvement projects. The projects will reduce enough electricity to power nearly 700 homes and the greenhouse gas equivalent of removing 20 cars from the road a year.
“My team continues to work across the Commonwealth to help municipalities adopt clean energy practices at the local level,” said DOER Commissioner Mark Sylvia. “These funds will help expedite clean energy projects, leading to cost savings that can ultimately be reinvested in the facility’s assets and save taxpayer dollars.”
“Cities and towns are increasingly looking for ways to improve their bottom line and protect the environment for their citizens. This funding creates a new return-on-investment model that will stimulate the local economy and improve the environment,” said MassDEP Commissioner David W. Cash. “In total, $1.7 million of ‘gap’ grant funds will result in nearly $11 million of energy improvement projects. These infrastructure upgrades will save facilities $1.2 million annually, which can be reinvested back into the plants, helping to cut energy use and reduce air emissions.”
Projects are funded by Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative proceeds through MassCEC and by Alternative Compliance Payments (ACP) through DOER. ACPs are made by electricity suppliers that do not meet their statutory Renewable Portfolio Standard obligation to purchase a sufficient percentage of renewable energy.
“These projects will ensure that cities and towns across the Commonwealth will be able to treat water in a clean and energy-efficient way, saving municipalities money and helping to bolster the already booming clean energy economy,” said MassCEC CEO Alicia Barton.
The Patrick Administration’s aggressive clean energy initiatives have made Massachusetts a leader in energy efficiency, renewable energy and emissions reductions. The American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy has named Massachusetts number one for three years running. This year, Governor Patrick set a new solar goal after reaching the previous goal of 250 megawatts four years early. The Commonwealth now aims to install 1,600 megawatts of solar capacity by 2020. The clean energy revolution is yielding economic benefits as well, with 11.8 percent job growth in the last year; nearly 80,000 people are employed in the cleantech industry in Massachusetts.
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