Quincy and Abington Receive Combined $400K in Green Communities Grants

QUINCY — State officials announced the award of $7.9 million to 59 municipalities across the Commonwealth through the Green Communities Competitive Grant program this week, including a combined total of $400,000 for the communities of Quincy and Abington.

Quincy and Abington each received a $200,000 grant, which each community will use to advance local climate-focused initiatives.

The funds awarded to the City of Quincy will go towards energy efficiency and clean transportation efforts. Projects include expansion of building controls and exhaust fans in schools, LED lighting in schools, and the purchase of five hybrid police cruisers to replace gasoline vehicles. The $200,000 grant will aid in funding $550,770 in projects, with the City contributing $270,688 and utilities providing $80,000 incentives. DOER has awarded the City of Quincy $1,020,325 through four Green Communities grants since 2010. Since its designation in 2011, the City has achieved energy savings of 61,290 MMBTUs and 7251 metric tons of CO2.

Abington’s grant funding will be used to pay for various energy conservation measures, weatherization, installation of energy-efficient infrastructure, and administrative assistance in municipal facilities including Frolio, Beaver Brook, and Woodsdale Schools, other town schools, and Abington’s Senior Center.

“I am proud of what the Legislature has done over the past decade to make our Commonwealth a greener and more climate-resilient state,” said House Speaker Ronald J. Mariano. “The grants being awarded today are an important component of those efforts and I applaud the local officials, particularly those in my hometown of Quincy, for their work in making their communities a healthier and safer place to live for their residents.”

“The Baker-Polito Administration fully understands the importance of addressing the issues of a changing climate,” said Quincy Mayor Thomas Koch. “Their ongoing commitment to working with cities and towns across the Commonwealth through Green Communities funding to meet our shared goal of achieving sustainability is a clear testament to their vision.”

Under the Green Communities Act, cities and towns must meet five criteria to be designated a Green Community and receive funding. The grants provide financial support for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects that further the designated communities’ clean energy goals. Two-hundred and eighty Massachusetts cities and towns have currently earned the Green Communities designation, which accounts for 87 percent of the Commonwealth’s population. This tenth annual round of DOER Green Communities competitive grants is awarded to existing Green Communities that have successfully invested their initial designation grants and previous competitive grant awards. Grants are capped at $200,000 per municipality. Funding for Green Communities Competitive Grant is made available through proceeds from carbon allowance auctions under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).

“Climate Week in Massachusetts provides a great opportunity to highlight the critical role state and local partnerships play in helping the Commonwealth achieve its nation-leading climate and clean energy goals,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides. “Expanding access to clean energy technologies and helping municipalities meet their own efficiency targets reduces pollution and improves air quality in our communities while creating new opportunities for economic development.”

“DOER is proud to collaborate with communities throughout the Commonwealth to achieve significant greenhouse gas emissions reductions and achieve our shared climate goals,” said Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Patrick Woodcock. “Importantly, these grants will assist municipalities in their ongoing efforts to create cleaner, more affordable, and healthier places to live.”