Overview:
The Municipal Decarbonization Task Force and Town Energy Committee in Athol, Massachusetts, reviewed the town's clean-energy efforts, including delays to a solar panel installation at the transfer station and a heat pump system for Town Hall. The proposed 4.2-megawatt solar array has been delayed due to National Grid transmission line upgrades, and the heat pump project faces additional expenses. However, smaller energy upgrades, such as heat pumps at the police station and new EV chargers at the Athol Public Library, are moving forward.
ATHOL – The Municipal Decarbonization Task Force and Town Energy Committee held a joint meeting on Oct. 21 to review the town’s clean-energy efforts, including continued delays to a solar panel installation.
Project Manager Rebecca Mauser of Weston & Sampson Engineers outlined the Municipal Energy Manager Grant, a Mass Save initiative funded by Eversource and National Grid and administered through the Montachusett Regional Planning Commission.
In July, the grant issued funds to Athol, Royalston, North Brookfield and Berlin, to be awarded from 2025 to 2027. It provides energy-management support and helps communities identify funding for local decarbonization projects.
“We’ll be helping each community equally for the next three years,” Mauser said. “One of the big things we’ll be working on is an energy-management plan for each year.”
The meeting also highlighted two projects that are currently facing setbacks: the solar array at the transfer station and a heat pump system for Town Hall.
Planning and Development Director Eric Smith said the proposed 4.2-megawatt solar array for the transfer station remains stalled as the town waits for National Grid to complete transmission line upgrades. The project, designed and awarded years ago, has seen its estimated completion date shift several times.
Selectboard Chair and Task Force member Rebecca Bialecki expressed frustration over the continuing delay.
“First they [National Grid] said 2024, then 2026, and now 2028; it’s a moving target,” she said.
Public Works Assistant Superintendent Paul Raskevitz noted that a local developer working on a separate solar project has been told to expect a four- to five-year wait to connect, emphasizing that grid congestion is a widespread issue.
Smith explained that the heat pump project has run into additional expenses. He said about $47,050 in additional engineering and structural work is needed to strengthen the roof and upgrade the transformer before construction can move forward.
Energy Committee Chair and Task Force member Amy Hanson warned that if the design work is not approved before the next Town Meeting, the project could be delayed another year.
“And that means we’ll keep relying on the Town Hall’s old boiler, which costs us nearly $20,000 a year to maintain,” Raskevitz added.
Smith said the town is exploring ways to cover the added cost, including potentially using National Grid solar credits banked from the Hardwick array.
Mauser explained that Weston & Sampson would be able to support the town’s funding efforts in some capacity.
“There’s a little bit of confinement for grants,” she said. “Just to be open and honest, there’s $50,000 per year for four communities, so it’ll be a tight budget. But part of the program is that we want to look for grants and incentives for you.”
Some smaller energy upgrades are moving forward. Raskevitz said heat pumps at the police station are now operational and new EV chargers in the Athol Public Library parking lot have been installed. The Department of Public Works has also had success switching smaller tools – such as chainsaws and compactors – to battery-powered models that reduce noise and emissions.