Green Communities

MA Green Communities

On February 2, 2017, the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources designated North Andover as a Green Community. The Green Community Designation and Grant Program provides a road map along with financial and technical support to municipalities that 1) pledge to cut municipal energy use by an ambitious and achievable goal of 20 percent over 5 years and 2) meet four other criteria established in the Green Communities Act. With the designation, North Andover received a grant in the amount of $169,390. The funds were used to purchase 2 all electric vehicles and a charging station located at Town Hall, and replace the cafeteria and exterior lighting at the Middle School with more energy efficient LED lighting. The remaining funds were used to hire a consultant to prepare an audit for converting all town owned streetlights to LED lighting.

The LED streetlight project was completed in January, 2019. The total cost for purchase and installation of the new streetlights was $344,804.26. The Town received grant funding for participating in the DOER's LED Streetlight Retrofit Program and also received a Green Community grant. These grants, along with incentives from National Grid covered all but $14,593.00 of the project's cost. With the new lighting now in place, the Town will recognize significant savings on energy costs along with lower maintenance costs.

Since it's designation as a Green Community, the Town has received grant funding from the DOER totalling $677,687.00 and utility incentives of $344,979. In addition to the streetlight project, these funds were used to upgrade inefficient lighting fixtures in several Town and School Buildings and to make weatherization improvements at the library, Kittredge School, Sargent School, Thomson School, Middle School and the High School.      

For more information on Green Communities and the benefits of obtaining the designation, please click here to go to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Green Communities Division website. 

Click here to see the Town's Energy Reduction Plan adopted by the Board of Selectmen on November 1, 2016.

Click here to read an article in The Eagle Tribune about North Andover's Green Community Designation.