Framingham's Cannon and Leombruno Get an F on Climate Change Action

We all know that climate change is an existential threat and one of its important battle fronts is local municipalities. State and federal government set the conditions for action, but towns and cities, their governments, local businesses, other local organizations, and residents, are the forces which must engage in the combat operations necessary to stem the tide of destruction which is inexorably rising around us every day.

In Framingham, we have vigorous engagement at the citizen level, with strong resident investment in rooftop solar installations, electric vehicles for transportation, heat pumps for heating and cooling, and curbside composting, to divert 40% of the trash stream to beneficial use, lowering the methane signature of landfills. We also see businesses and other organizations, such as churches actively engaged in solar roof and solar canopy installations.

In contrast, the engagement of Framingham government has been woefully inadequate. The community seems to be unable to elect enough officials who share its values on climate change action.

Even though we have Ameresco, one of the largest solar system companies in Massachusetts, right here in Framingham, Framingham watched as myriads of neighboring and more distant cities and towns hired Ameresco in the last decade or so to build out their solar roofs and solar canopies, including: Abington, Arlington, Ashland, Boxford, Braintree, Easton, Fall River, Lenox, Lexington, Lowell, Melrose, Milton, Newburyport, Natick, Newton, Revere, Waltham, Wayland, Westwood. Ameresco also installed 3 solar systems at state facilities in Framingham. But not a single solar system was installed at a Framingham school or other municipal building.

There was a breakthrough in 2021, when Solect Energy, a leading solar system installer, based in Hopkinton, was contracted to build solar roofs for the McAuliffe library and the new Fuller Middle school, and solar canopies at Brophy and Farley school locations. Currently, only McAuliffe and Brophy are operational and Fuller and Farley, which were planned to come online a year ago are stalled. Expectations were high that when McAuliffe was approved by the City Council, many other installations would follow. But in the last 2 years, no new solar projects have been initiated and 2 are stalled.

The question naturally must be asked: Why has our solar system build out ground to a halt?

The answer is quite simple.

It turns out that there has been very substantial opposition to solar installations from the very start in the City Council, mounted by Mike Cannon, Janet Leombruno, and George King. A key video clip which reveals this comes from the March 9, 2021, meeting of the City Council Finance Subcommittee. There Adam Steiner and Cesar Stewart-Morales push hard for approval of the McAuliffe project, while Cannon, Leombruno, and King throw everything but the kitchen sink at the project vendor, the financing method, and the contract, while they profess to be supportive of expanding solar installations. The video may be viewed below. It is quite painful to watch, but a few minutes should give you an idea of what is going down.

Councilors Cannon, Leombruno, King Complain At Length About Framingham Solar Project Financing

Media reporting of the event, which especially noted Mike Cannon's opposition, may be found here:

https://www.metrowestdailynews.com/story/news/2021/03/17/solar-panels-installed-mcauliffe-library-branch-framingham/4699141001/

Around this time, I had a long phone conversation with Mike Cannon on his opposition to Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), which were the only tool available to municipalities to finance solar systems at the time. He remained implacably opposed.

It strikes me too that the trio of Councilors in opposition to the project did nothing to signal to Solect Energy that Framingham is a good city to do business with. I suspect that the stalled projects at Fuller and Farley reflect a Solect Energy-City of Framingham relationship breakdown, caused to some degree by adverse City Councilor attitudes.

In the last few months, I met with Mike Cannon at Panera in Framingham to get an update of his views on solar system financing. After 2 1/2 hours of conversation, it was crystal clear that he remains one of the major impediments to solar projects, based on specious financial objections.

Nothing has changed.

So to this day, Mike Cannon continues his relentless opposition to the standard means to finance solar systems for municipalities, and Janet Leombruno has spent the last 2 years as Chair of the City Council Environment & Sustainability Subcommittee doing precisely nothing to expand solar installations. She just sent around a flyer, to support her re-election campaign even though she has no challenger, which makes zero mention of solar installations.

At the recent Climate Forum for City Council candidates, Mike Cannon did not bother to attend, and Janet Leombruno cancelled, and just sent in answers to some questions. One could not ask for less engagement in climate change action.

It seems quite obvious that Framingham shall remain stuck in slow motion on solar installations until the influence of both Cannon and Leombruno is diminished substantially. And giving them an F is 100% justified. Of course, I should say that on this same grading scale, both George King and John Stefanini would get a D-, but at least they attended the Climate Forum, although George admitted that it was a learning experience for him, while John Stefanini called for a strategic plan (more delay!) while showing little real intent to really push solar build outs. His website does not mention solar installations for schools or other municipal buildings:

https://johnstefanini.org/vision/environment/

The net result of all of this is that we have two City Councilors who are major roadblocks to solar installation expansion: Cannon and Leombruno, and two others, who seem to have little enthusiasm: King and Stefanini.

All are unchallenged in the election on Tuesday, November 7, except Stefanini.

I encourage voters, who take climate change seriously, to do the following:

1. Retire Stefanini from the City Council by voting for Leslie White Harvey in District 8.

2. Write in another person for Cannon in District 4.

3. Write in another person for King and Leombruno in the 2 At Large Councilor positions.

Although 3 of these Councilors have no opponent: Cannon, King, Leombruno, voters can still voice their dissatisfaction by using the write in tool.

Everyone who has a solar roof on their house should take action, as should all those residents who do curbside composting, as should every parent in the city who does not want their children to see the worst-case scenario unfold as climate change proceeds, and wants us to do everything we can to mitigate it.

My favorite write in candidate is Adam Freudberg, as he lives in District 4 and would be a game changer on the City Council if he knocked out just one of the 3 unopposed incumbents.

Go vote on Tuesday, November 7th, and don't leave blanks on the ballot. Let your voice be heard!