Acton Awarded Grants To Pursue Planning And Energy Initiatives

ACTON, MA — Acton has funds to invest in some eco-friendly and energy saving initiatives in the government and in the regional school district. The town was awarded two grants worth $178,461 in total.

The first grant, worth $139,461, was awarded to Acton and the Acton-Boxborough Regional School District through the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources Green Communities Program. This is the seventh Green Communities grant award Acton has received since the start of the grant program in 2010.

The grant will be split to fund two LED lighting retrofitting projects. Retrofitting at Acton Public Safety and Recreation facilities will use $54,965 of the grant funds and retrofitting at Acton-Boxborough Regional High School will use the remaining $84,496. The lighting changes are projected to save more than 117,000 kWh in electricity and more than $12,000 per year in cost savings.

The Green Communities program issued just under $15 million in grants to fund the clean energy projects of 91 different municipalities during this cycle.

The second grant, distributed by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA), is a planning assistance grant which funds municipal efforts to plan, zone and act to conserve and develop land consistent with state sustainable development principles. The grants help communities retain appropriate technical expertise and undertake the public process associated with creating plans and adopting land use regulations. This grant cycle has awarded over $1 million to fund 21 project across the state.

Acton, in partnership with the Town of Maynard, was awarded $39,000 which will be used for planning and technical assistance to study zoning for the Powder Mill Road corridor.