conservation

To the editor:

Thanks to the leadership of Lincoln’s State Sen. Mike Barrett (D-Lexington), the new state budget now provides funds to test the water quality of the Assabet, Sudbury and Concord Rivers. Sen. Barrett’s $25,000 amendment, approved as part of the fiscal 2016 Senate budget, debate, paved the way. Although vetoed by the governor, the House and Senate voted to override the veto on Thursday, July 30. The money will be used to support water quality monitoring to measure progress in complying with state water quality standards.

The amendment, co-sponsored by Sen. Jamie Eldridge and supported by Senator Richard Ross (representing Wayland and Natick), will ensure that the quality-controlled data will be available to municipal, state and federal decision-makers so that decisions can be based soundly on science.  Monitoring has shown that for a key pollutant, phosphorus, the substantial municipal investments in wastewater treatment have been paying off. In recent years, the three rivers have become significant recreational and wildlife resources. The Assabet River, once referred to as the “cesspool of Massachusetts,” is now an asset to the towns it flows through.

There is much work ahead to ensure that the rivers meet the goal of being “fishable and swimmable” and remain healthy in the face of climate change and stormwater pollution. This work should be based on scientific information. The determined commitment Sen. Barrett has shown to our environment by securing these funds is very much appreciated.

Laura E. Rome, President
Alison Field-Juma, Executive Director
OARS for the Assabet, Sudbury and Concord Rivers
Concord, MA

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Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to news@lincolnsquirrel.com. Letters must be about a Lincoln-specific topic, will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Editor’s note: This letter is signed by all members of the Lincoln Green Energy Technology Committee (GETC).

To the editor:

Residential electricity use can account for one-third or more of our personal carbon dioxide emissions, but Lincoln residents can now switch to renewably generated electricity with a short telephone call. Your bill and electricity distribution will still come from Eversource (formerly NSTAR), but the Mass Energy Consumer Alliance‘s Green Power program ensures that your electricity consumption will be matched 100% by electricity generated from local renewable sources supplied to Eversource. You only have to choose whether you would like those renewable sources to be 100% wind-generated or 100% renewably generated using 74% low-impact hydro, 17% wind, 7% solar and 2% gas digesters (from cows).

A couple of Lincoln families have already made the switch. Through their affiliation with Mass Audubon, the Klem family heard about Mass Audubon’s Make the Switch campaign and switched to the Mass Energy 100% wind-generated electricity program. This program utilizes Massachusetts wind farms to generate their electricity. The switch augments the renewable electricity being generated from the Klems’ rooftop solar array to provide them with 100% renewable electricity. It’s costing them 3.8 cents per kWh (kilowatt hour) above the typical Eversource price.

“This is an easy, efficient, and effective way to green up the power you use. It’s a great opportunity to promote the development of wind energy and well worth the small increase in cost,” Sue and Chris Klem say.

The Watkinson family switched to the Mass Energy 100% renewably generated electricity program that utilizes a mix of New England sources including low-impact hydro, wind, solar, and gas digesters to generate their electricity. They switched from a renewable electricity-generating IPP (Independent Power Producer) in order to promote more local generation and renewable investment. It costs them 2.4 cents per kWh above the typical Eversource price per kWh.

“It was difficult for us to build an effective solar array because our roof has very little southern exposure. But with one phone call and for the monthly cost of $15—the equivalent of eating lunch out—we were able to switch to 100% renewably generated electricity. This renewably generated electricity also charges our Chevrolet Volt, so our car is mostly fueled by renewable electricity,” says GETC member Peter Watkinson.

This approach can enable 100% of your electricity needs through renewable sources and is particularly helpful if solar-generated electricity is difficult on your roof (not large enough to generate all of your electricity or not facing south, etc). You only have to decide whether you would prefer 100% wind-generated or 100% renewably generated (multiple sources) electricity. Your charge of 3.8 or 2.4 cents per kWh is also tax-deductible.

With your electricity bill in hand, you can call Mass Energy at 800-287-3950 ext. 5 and sign up to switch to renewable electricity today, or go to www.massenergy.org/renewable-energy/greenpowerform.

Sincerely,

The members of the Lincoln Green Energy Technology Committee

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Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to news@lincolnsquirrel.com. Letters must be about a Lincoln-specific topic, will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.