The Wellesley Climate Action Committee has been especially busy of late, between monitoring federal rules changes and readying for housing developments in town that could bring new sustainability challenges and opportunities.

During its Oct. 3 meeting (see Wellesley Media recording), the appointed body discussed bills working their way through the state legislature, the town’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction progress, and the committee’s take on local housing initiatives.

Chair Lise Olney shared a legislative update, as the committee sometimes advocates for key provisions within bills along with state legislators who represent Wellesley. There are lots of climate-related bills, some of which will inevitably morph into larger ones, and we’re coming off a session during which a big climate bill passed that has the state looking through a more critical lens at gas proposals. Among the new bills that the Climate Action Committee is eyeing is legislation focused on encouraging a cost-effective way to transition to clean energy approaches, such as geothermal. For example, the committee supports efforts to restrict utilities from installing gas pipes if more affordable or clean energy alternatives are available, and also supports an effort to rebuild tree canopies across the state to mitigate climate change. Olney also spoke positively about efforts to require gas companies to share more information with municipalities about possible pipeline replacement or repairs—Wellesley has been negatively affected by a lack of such information over the past couple of years that resulted in Weston Road reconstruction being delayed until this year.

Learn more about cutting your climate impact:

Committee member Mary Gard, an energy coach with the town, also spoke about a bill to make Mass Save assessments more comprehensive by increasing the emphasis on decarbonization. She has testified on this topic.

Moving on, the town’s sustainability energy assistant, Janet Mosley, gave an update on Wellesley’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory. This gives insight into how the town is progressing on its goal to reach net zero emissions by 2050. One challenge with this process is that measuring data is imperfect, with conflicting numbers sometimes arising (the town is skeptical of data showing huge drops in commercial and some college natural gas usage, for example).

The overall reduction in emissions from 2023 to 2024 was 1%, Mosley said. A 2.5% reduction was seen from buildings, but the changeover in school buildings, with Hunnewell being closed then back online in a bigger form, and comparatively colder weather prevented a bigger drop on this front. Buildings make up close to two-thirds of the town’s emissions. On-road transportation miles have also been on the rise, though a shift to electric vehicles has muted the increased emissions to some extent.

One of the biggest reasons emissions have decreased from 2007 to 2024, Mosley said, is the greening of the electrical grid. Buildings have also become more energy efficient, and Wellesley College has been sourcing more of its electricity from the Municipal Light Plant, she said.

The Climate Action team also brainstormed about what they might want to emphasize at the next MassBay Community College forum on plans to sell property to support the state’s housing goals and partially fund campus development. The Climate Action Committee will stress the need for net-zero construction and tree canopy protection. Questions arose about how parking will be handled if the lot across Oakland Street from the current campus mostly goes away, and what sorts of walkability improvements in the area can be made. (In early September, Olney also briefed the group on efforts to get Climate Action’s concerns to Babson College about its lodge construction project and planned use of gas).

During its Sept. 19 meeting (see Wellesley Media recording), Olney started by commenting about the committee submitting a letter to express strong opposition to a proposal issued on July 29 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to rescind a key finding regarding the dangers of greenhouse gas emissions and to eliminate federal greenhouse gas emissions standards for motor vehicles. “The rescinding of that finding is a huge threat to all the work on climate that we have all committed ourselves to,” she said. For more details, see the town’s press release.

During its Sept. 5 meeting (see Wellesley Media recording), Wellesley Sustainability Director Marybeth Martello gave an update on the town’s partnership with Mass Save-affilate HomeWorks, which has been canvassing homes to encourage owners to agree to free energy audits. About 88% of homes using natural gas have been visited, and HomeWorks has reached others via mailings as well information tables at events and the Recycling & Disposal Facility. About 700 people signed up for assessments, and more than half of those had been completed by early September, Martello said. More than 130 weatherization projects have been completed as well as eight heat pump installations, she said, though heat pump installations could be higher and just not tracked. The town plans to continue working with Home Works, and is defining a new set of goals.

Martello also shared the latest on plans for solar at the new Hardy and Hunnewell Elementary Schools. The Climate Action team’s role here is to “maximize the amount of outside funding for these projects,” Martello said. A big target is a Climate Leaders Community Grant that can provide up to $1m with a 10% match from the town, plus federal tax credits if they don’t go away.

Also in the works is a sustainable development guide for private developers in town. “The goal is to align new development we see coming into town with our climate goals and Climate Action Plan,” Martello said. Wellesley is looking to speak with those from peer communities about how they’ve addressed this. The town would like to have an early say on the climate impact of new developments, which will bring more people and vehicles to town.

New Climate Action Committee Chair Olney thanked previous Chair Sue Morris for her leadership over the past three years. Morris is now the group’s secretary.

Ready to take action?

Connect with a Wellesley Energy Coach (EnergyCoach@wellesleyma.gov) to get started with a free home energy assessment, weatherizing your home, and confirming that a heat pump is right for you.

Heat Pump Forum and Pizza Party

DATE: October 16
TIME: 6:30–7:00 p.m. for Pizza and socializing; 7:00–8:30 p.m. – Sessions and Q&A
LOCATION: Wellesley Free Library, 530 Washington St.
REGISTER