A Working Vision for Belmont’s Future Adopted by Town Meeting(1) 

The vision includes: “We will manage traffic through and around town to ensure the tranquility of our neighborhoods and the safety of pedestrians and bicyclists; and, We will be an environmentally responsible community and conserve our natural habitats.”

ESCO (Energy Services Agreement) implemented Energy Conservation Measures through 2014 (2) 

Verified savings for FY2014 were $266K, exceeding projection by $27.

Resources Savings Policy Statement approved (3)

Approved by the Belmont Board of Selectmen on 11/27/2006; Approved by the Belmont School Committee January 20074

Belmont Light Residential Energy Conservation Survey (5) 

98% of respondents reported conservation of electricity and energy efficiency as “very important” or “somewhat important”

70% of Belmont votes “YES” to State-wide Ballot Question 46,“Shall the representative from this district be instructed to vote in favor of legislation that: (1) reduces greenhouse gas emissions in Massachusetts by 80% by 2020; and (2) phases out tax incentives for energy-intensive projects, while expanding job creation programs for locally-owned businesses and cooperatives involved in renewable energy, conservation, and sustainable agriculture?”

Belmont completes Climate Action Plan (7) 

Carbon emissions reduction goal of 80% by 2050 is endorsed by Town Meeting and Belmont Board of Selectmen in approving Article 6, Climate Action Plan Resolution. 

Board of Selectmen Appoints Energy Committee (8) 

Goals of the Energy Committee including “1) maximizing efficiency within Town operations, purchasing decisions, construction of capital assets, and community planning, through appropriate recognition of energy conservation, 2) promoting efficiency for Town residents, businesses, and institutions, and 3) exploring possibilities for implementing renewable energy use within the Town.” 

Sustainable Belmont founded (9), “to enable Belmont to be an environmentally responsible community.” Originally formed as a task force of the Vision 21 Implementation Committee, Sustainable Belmont supports the Vision’s environmental goal.

Town’s Comprehensive Plan 2010-2020 completed (10)

Belmont adopts Stretch Energy Code (11) Appendix 115 AA of the MA State Building Code (780 CMR)

Capital Projects, Wellington School (MA-CHPS certified) and Beech Street Center (LEED Silver certified) completed (12)

Belmont becomes MA DOER's Green Community (13). 

Belmont commits to reducing energy consumption by 20% within 5 years from the 2013 baseline energy data year.

Belmont Light Board approves solar-forward policy (14) to increase solar installations 

Financial Task Force Report (15) recommends avoiding “reactive budgeting” as it relates to the schools, citing energy conservation measures that proactively manage building maintenance and repairs. 

Belmont Light Receives Clean Energy and Innovation Award (16) 

Under MassCEC’s Catalyst program, Belmont develops EnerScore – an online tool that provides energy performance ratings for all homes using public records and building permit data. Grant funding will enable initial pilot testing with peer cities.

Belmont becomes the most successful residential solarize campaign in MA, Belmont Goes Solar (17)

Ongoing Energy Efficiency programs with Belmont Light and the Energy Committee yield target goals consistently ahead of schedule. Including: Residential Air-Source Heat Pump Grants, Residential oil to gas conversions, Energy Star appliance rebates.(18) 

Chenery Middle School eliminates Styrofoam trays from cafeteria, adopts food waste diversion system and works toward composting.(19) 

Ongoing Electric Vehicle campaign, Belmont Drives Electric, shows Belmont’s zip code has highest EV count in MA (20) 

Climate Action Plan, Updated (21)

Belmont High School Building Committee selects architect with Zero Net Energy expertise. (22)

Sustainability/green design ranked in the top three of nine priorities in the Belmont High School Building Committee (BHSBC) survey of 1,700 respondents (residents, students, faculty, and administration) (23)

Belmont Light forges leadership in municipal light departments in the state in renewable, clean energy: new power supply policy adopted (including retiring renewable energy credits); new climate-centered General Manager Chris Roy, (24) (25) 

Board of Selectmen, as the Municipal Light Board, votes an increase to the capacity limit of renewable energy in the Belmont Light tariff.(26)

Belmont joins 81 other towns in voting for a plastic bag ban (27)

Board of Selectmen votes for new dockless bike share program (28)

Perkins & Will, Belmont High School Project Design Team’s design reaches energy levels that qualify it for Zero Net Energy status.(29) Geothermal system proves to be the most cost effective HVAC system, with the lowest Total Present Worth relative to conventional HVAC systems.(30)

76% of voters support new 7-12 school debt exclusion in landslide (31) Zero Net Energy is part of the design which will result in an overall net present savings of over $5M (32)

School Committee votes unanimously in favor of Class D Zero Net Energy (33)

Board of Selectmen votes unanimously in favor of the We Are Still In commitment joining proximal cities/towns Boston, Cambridge, Arlington, Lexington, Newton and Somerville (WeAreStillIn.com) (34)

DOWNLOAD THE PDF WITH LINKS TO REFERENCES HERE

Town Energy Committee meets goal of 50 residential heat pump installations as part of its Heat Smart Belmont program.

88% of Town Meeting votes “Yes” for Article 8, resolution to move Belmont toward achieving its

carbon emission reduction objectives through Strategic Electrification and endorses a Belmont Light

goal of 100% carbon-free electricity.

76% of Belmont voters say “Yes” to State-wide Ballot Question 3 on 100% renewable energy use

within the next two decades

77% of Town Meeting votes “Yes” for Article 11, the fossil-free new construction resolution.

Belmont Light scores 2nd highest of all 41 Municipal Light Plants in Massachusetts Climate Action

Network (MCAN) 2021 MLP Scorecard of assessing MLP progress in mitigating climate change.

Belmont scores in top ten of Boston Magazine’s greenest towns in Massachusetts

Belmont's first municipal solar array(29kW) on Chenery Middle School energized

Belmont voters favors the pro-climate slate of candidates for the new 5-member separate elected

Belmont Light Board 2-to-1

Joining 26 other towns, Belmont Town Meeting overwhelmingly votes in favor of “specialized energy

code” which incentivizes fossil-free new construction.