The Lincoln Squirrel – News, features and photos from Lincoln, Mass.

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Register for State of the Town online meetings

Lincolnites can now register to attend the Zoom-based Sate of the Town meeting on November 1-2 from 7–9 p.m. on both nights.

SOTT #1 (Monday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m.)

  • Public Health Update
  • School Building Project Update
  • Finance Committee Update
  • Community Center Discussion
  • Open Forum

Zoom advance registration link (night 1)

SOTT #2 (Tuesday, Nov. 2 at 7 p.m.)

  • Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, & Anti-Racism (IDEA) Initiative Update
  • South Lincoln Planning Update
  • Climate Action Planning Committee
  • Open Forum

Zoom advance registration link (night 2)

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting. For more information on the issues, see the Selectmen’s Fall 2021 Newsletter.

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Family movie in the CCF barn

Codman Community Farms will show “Chicken Run,” its first “Farm Flick” in the barn, on Thursday, July 15 at 7 p.m. Children under 5 are free; all others are $10 (popcorn and lemonade included). Buy tickets on the CCF website or at the Farm Store (on the check-out terminal under EVENTS on the top banner). 

Five from Lincoln graduate from Minuteman

The following Lincoln residents recently graduated from Minuteman Vocational Technical High School in Lincoln:

  • Marco Bangall (plumbing). Bangall is working as a plumber apprentice with Zepco Plumbing and Heating of Waltham.
  • William Harris (advanced manufacturing).Harris received the President’s Education Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement and will attend New England Institute of Technology to study criminal justice.
  • Aidan Nunez O’Doherty (advanced manufacturing). Nunez O’Doherty received three scholarships from Minuteman and will attend UMass–Lowell to study mechanical engineering
  • Molly P. Raghavan (carpentry). Raghavan received the Digital Federal Credit Union Award and the Jed Dowd Memorial Award.
  • Vivianvi Romero (early education and teaching). Romero will attend Keiser University to study criminal justice.

Lincoln college student interning at ORI

Adibah Shaikh

Adibah Shaikh, a Lincoln resident and biology major at UMass–Lowell, is interning this summer for Ocean River Institute, a nonprofit providing expertise, services, resources, and information to support environmental organizations. She is serving as a team captain for the Natural Lawn Care for Healthy Soils Challenge, which aims to urge people to restore the ecological functioning of grass lawns by not spreading fertilizer or harsh chemicals. She will also disseminate information advocating for the passage of the Ocean Based Climate Solutions Act as well as the Break Free from Plastic Pollution Act.

“Climate change and the environment in general have always been important to me,” said Shaikh in a statement. “The moment that really kicked off my environmental work was when I wrote a paper on plastic for my college writing course. I learned how harmful plastics are from the production to the aftermath of the disposal. As I became more informed, I wanted to make my household more involved. We already recycle and compost but I wanted to take it a step further and try to slowly aim for zero waste. I’m excited to intern for Ocean River Institute and work to restore the health of our environment.”

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Juneteenth films and online exhibit

In honor of Juneteenth and its history, the Lincoln Public Library is offering two films and an online special display about the new state and federal holiday. Online Special Displays will be an ongoing project to highlight the library’s collection and various websites that patrons may find informative, as well as and streaming video available through its Kanopy subscription.

Friday, June 18 at 12:00 p.m.
Into the Fire, 1861-1896 — an episode of the PBS series The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross (2013) featuring Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Learn more and view the trailer on Kanopy here. Register for the film screening on Zoom here. Please contact Kate at ktranquada@minlib.net with any questions.

Saturday, June 19 at 12:00 p.m.
Miss Juneteenth (2020). Learn more and view the trailer on Kanopy here. Register for the film screening on Zoom here. Please contact Robin at rrapoport@minlib.net with any questions.

Riverfest 2021 activities this weekend 

Sudbury, Assabet and Concord Wild and Scenic Rivers (SuAsCo) is offering free guided group activities on and along portions of the three rivers on June 19 and June 20 during the 22nd annual Riverfest celebration. Activities will include cycling, paddling, nature and history walks, and many children’s activities including fishing lessons, a Snakes of the World presentation, and an exhibit on reptiles that live along river banks.

One guided boating group will depart from the canoe landing parking lot on Route 117 in Lincoln, and others will launch from sites in neighboring towns. Multiple community activities will be held at the historic Old Manse in Concord. See a complete list of this weekend’s events. For more information about the Wild and Scenic Rivers and River Stewardship Council, click here.

Summer concerts at Codman Pool

The following free summer concerts will take place on three Wednesdays at 6 p.m. at the Codman Pool, courtesy of the Parks and Recreation Department. Click here for details. Concerts will be cancelled or rescheduled for rain; check LincolnRec.com for updates.

  • July 14 — Kat Chapman Trio
  • July 21 — Knock on Wood
  • July 28 — Marc Berger

Summer concerts at deCordova

The deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum has announced a new outdoor Summer Performance Series that explores different traditions, histories, and arts that inspires social justice.

Performances will take place on the lawn at deCordova at 6 p.m. Tickets are $35 fo adults and $15 for children; click here to purchase. Please bring a picnic blanket or chairs if desired. In case of rain, performances will be rescheduled for a Thursday in August. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Lincoln Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

Lincoln resident graduates from Cotting School

Zoe Clapp, daughter of Pamela Clapp of Lincoln and Andre Clapp of Somerville, graduated from Cotting School in Lexington on June 5  as a member of the school’s 127th graduating class. Zoe received the the school’s Award for Improved Adaptability, given to recognize a graduate who has shown an increased willingness to try new things, no matter how challenging they may be. The Cotting School enables students with special needs to achieve their highest learning potential and level of independence. 

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Eighth-grade car wash on Saturday

To benefit their upcoming graduation, the Lincoln School’s eighth-graders will host a car wash on Saturday, May 22 from 11 a.m.–5 p.m. at Town Hall (rain date: May 23). Since the class can’t have dances or bake sales, this is an important end-of-year activity for them. Click here to prepay for a car wash ($20) and/or make a donation. You  may also pay in case on the day of the car wash. Names of those who preregister will be on a list that the students can check off when cars arrive.

“Kibbles and Nibbles” online cooking class

Lincoln-based nonprofit Phinney’s is launching “Kibbles and Nibbles,” an online cooking class, hosted by Cordon Bleu pastry chef Mika McDonald, on Sunday, May 23 from 7–8 p.m. on Google Meet. She will guide attendees in creating oat cake and Parmesan cheese crisps that can be both enjoyed by pets and people so those watching can follow and cook alongside her. A minimum donation of $10 secures a spot in the class, which has limited space and is designed for all ages and experience levels. To register, go to phinneys.org/kibbles-nibbles, where the ingredients and kitchen tools for the class are also listed. 

Diversity performance next week

Lincoln’s METCO Coordinating Committee presents “Living the Legacy of METCO” on Tuesday, May 25 at 6:30 p.m. This live performance on Zoom by Dialogues On Diversity, a social justice theater company, is aimed at Lincoln School students in grades 5-8 as well as their family members, as well as the broader community. The 45-minute performance gives the history and context for the country’s oldest racial educational integration program and examines the social activism of urban and suburban Boston families in the 1960s. Contains sensitive images and language that may not be suitable for younger audiences. Made possible by a grant from the Lincoln Cultural Council. Click here for the Zoom link (passcode: 050455).

Outdoor classes and events for seniors

The Council on Aging and Human Services is starting to host in-person events again. There are a host of outdoor exercise classes in the Pierce House tent in addition to those offered on Zoom, and the Knitter’s Group is on Tuesday, June 1 at 9:30 a.m. on the Bemis Hall lawn. See page 9 of the May COAHS newsletter for details, or call 781-259-8811 x102 to sign up.

Talk on philosophical basis for Modernist architecture

The Lincoln Historical Society, in collaboration with Friends of Modern Architecture, will host a presentation of “As the Twig Is Bent, So Goes the Tree… A Shared Philosophy: New England Transcendentalism and European Modernism” by Lincoln resident and FoMA President Dana Robbat. The meeting and talk are on Saturday, June 12 from 4:30–5:30 p.m. The Lincoln Historical Society will hold its brief annual meeting in advance of the presentation, which will highlight the age-old social ideals of New England’s Puritan and Transcendental philosophical heritage that provided fertile ground for the arrival of the philosophically aligned European Modernists who arrived at Harvard and MIT in the late 1930s and subsequently had a profound effect on Lincoln’s built and natural environments. Click here to register and get the Zoom link. For more information, email lincolnmahistoricalsociety@gmail.com.

Mandatory outdoor watering restrictions now in effect

Details of the Stage 2 watering restrictions now in effect (click image to enlarge).

Because Lincoln continues to draw more water from the Charles River Watershed than allowed by permit and continues to exceed the mandated residential use of 65 gallons per person per day, the Water Department is required to enforce Stage 2 outdoor water use restrictions from May 1 through September 30. Drought declarations by the state supersede the Lincoln restrictions. Higher restrictions may be imposed in response to state drought declarations.

During Stage 2 and above, Water Department staff will be monitoring all sprinkler use in town and will stop to remind residents of the new restriction policy. A first offense will result in a $100 fine, and subsequent violations will result in a $200 fine. Anyone with questions may contact the Water Department at 781-259-2669 or bolanda@lincolntown.org. For more information on water conservation and what residents and communities can do, visit the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs drought page and water conservation toolkit.

Environmental measures, name changes to go before voters on Saturday

Voters at Saturday’s annual Town Meeting (ATM) will be asked to vote on five citizens’ petitions concerning plastics and the proposed community center, as well as two other measures seeking town board name changes.

The items were originally planned for the 2020 Annual Town Meeting, but that meeting was stripped of all but essential financial items due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Members of the L-S Environmental Club and Mothers Out Front–Lincoln made their case for three environment-related measures at the April 26 Board of Selectmen meeting.

Article 37, the Polystyrene Reduction Bylaw, would prohibit food and retail establishments in Lincoln from using or selling disposal food service containers made from polystyrene. It would also not allow sales of other items containing the substance (packing peanuts, Styrofoam coolers and coffee cups, meat and produce trays, etc.) unless the polystyrene is fully encased in a more durable material. The bylaw would not apply to prepared food or other items packaged outside Lincoln with polystyrene.

More recycling is not the answer, because polystyrene is a major contaminant in town recycling, and food-grade polystyrene manufacture requires the use of “virgin” materials, the presenters said. Particles from polystyrene and other plastics are also a health hazard for both people and animals as they degrade into microplastics and release toxins. Almost 40 other Massachusetts communities have already enacted polystyrene bans, they said.

For similar reasons, Article 39 would ban the sale and use of plastic straws, stirrers, splash sticks and other disposable plastics. Plastic straws contain toxic bisphenol-A, and all plastics release minute amounts of health-endangering chemicals into food and water.

Tricia O’Hagen of Mothers Out Front told selectmen that Donelan’s and Twisted Tree had no problem with the measures since they’re already using more environmentally friendly materials in items they sell. Under the proposed ban, food establishments may still provide disposable non-plastic items of this type if the customers request them, and customers can still bring with them and use whatever items they like. If enacted, there will be a six-month waiver to allow businesses to draw down existing inventory.

A third measure before voters, Article 38, would authorize the town to petition the state legislature to allow a local rule that would require Lincoln retailers to charge at least 10 cents for each new checkout bag of any type, including paper.

Lincoln has already enacted a ban on disposable plastic shopping bags and similar materials. However, that policy encourages people to use disposable paper bags rather than reusable bags. While paper bags are more degradable than plastic, they have their own drawbacks: the manufacturing process releases greenhouse gases and other chemicals and uses a significant amount of water.

The money to be collected is not a tax but would remain with the retailer. An easily avoidable bag charge encourages consumers to opt for non-woven polypropylene or cloth bags, which are cheaper in the long run, so the measure makes sense for both businesses and customers, the presenters said.

“We’re trying to get away from single-use items as much as possible,” O’Hagen said. Several Massachusetts cities as well as states and countries have already enacted minimum bag charges, she added.

Climate action, community center

Voters will be asked to adopt a resolution in support of the country’s continuing participation in the Paris Climate Accord, and action by the state legislature to promote climate justice and expand the use of clean energy.

In the year since the measure was originally scheduled for a vote, President Biden reversed former President Trump’s move to have the United States withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord — and Gov. Baker also signed comprehensive climate legislation.

However, the ATM vote on Article 36 is still important to signal that Lincoln will closely follow the issue to make sure deadlines in the legislation are met, while encouraging town leaders to keep working to reduce Lincoln’s carbon footprint, said Paul Shorb, one of the sponsors of the citizens’ petition. The message of a “yes” vote is to “go faster and be bold while trying to be fair to everybody,” he said.

Article 40 would require town officials to give an update on the status of a new community center for Lincoln. When the issue was most recently under discussion in 2018, town officials agreed that the school project took precedence but that Lincoln could afford further borrowing on a community center as soon as the school was finished.

In 2018, the Community Center Planning and Preliminary Design Committee submitted its final report outlining two possible design directions for the facility, which was then estimated to cost $15.3 million to $16.2 million depending on which design was chosen.

The 2018 report proposed a timeline with one date that has already passed—establishing a Community Center Building Committee starting in November 2020. The CCPPDC also proposed a March 2021 Town Meeting vote on budget and site, but the pandemic pushed it to the back burner.

The Council on Aging and the Parks and Recreation Department both have well-documented needs for more and better space, and a community center would answer those needs and would also “connect the generations in town,” said Selectman Jonathan Dwyer, the board’s liaison to the CCPPDC.

The year 2023 is “wide open for a project like this,” since the school project will be completed, and the Finance Committee says the town has additional borrowing capacity of $27 million, Dwyer said. Officials hope to discuss next steps at the fall 2021 State of the Town meeting, he added.

Name changes

Also on the ATM agenda are two other items that were discussed last year but postponed: name changes for the Council on Aging (Article 26) and the Board of Selectmen (Article 24). If voters approve, they will be called the Council on Aging and Human Services and the Select Board, respectively.

The Town Meeting starts on Saturday at 9:30 a.m. under the tent in the Hartwell School lot. For information on the articles to be voted on, see Lincoln’s Annual Town Meeting web page.

My Turn: Get rain barrels and pollinator kits at wholesale prices

By Bryn Gingrich and Ruth Ann Hendrickson

This spring, the LLCT (Lincoln Land Conservation Trust) and the Water Department are offering wholesale rain barrels through the Great American Rain Barrel Company. Through this community purchasing program, they can offer the barrels at wholesale prices, saving nearly $50 for each barrel and $15–$20 per diverter. (Other diverter styles can be purchase independently of this program; contact Ruth Ann Hendrickson at raandbob@earthlink.net for recommendations.)

Using rain barrels to water gardens reduces the strain on Lincoln’s drinking water supply and saves you money. During a rainstorm, roofs can collect enormous quantities of water. A quarter-inch of rain on a 25 x 25 ft. peaked-roof garage draining to a gutter downspout or “rain chain” generates 45 gallons. Multiple barrels can be linked together to provide more storage. The barrels on offer are repurposed shipping drums that will last for years when properly drained and stored for winter. 

Lincoln continues to draw more water from the Charles River watershed than allowed by our state permit. Moreover, as we see continued drought in the region, water conservation remains a critical collective responsibility. Most summers and into fall, Lincoln residents have seen restrictions on outdoor water use to protect watershed levels. Private well owners draw from the same aquifer and are advised to curtail use also.

Purchase a rain barrel through this program to be automatically entered into a raffle for a $100 gift card to Something Special in Lincoln, provided by the Lincoln Water Department. The winner will be randomly selected after orders close on April 30.

Click here for more information about rain barrels and water conservation.

Pollinator planting kits are available to 2021 LLCT members only (join now!). These plants were all selected for their high value to native pollinators, including at-risk bumblebees and many species of butterflies. The plants are offered at wholesale prices, with a small fee incorporated to support planting efforts on conservation land.

Shop now for rain barrels and plants. Advance orders are required by Friday, April 30. Pickup is on May 22 from 8–11 a..m. at the DPW on Lewis Street.

Gingrich is outreach director for the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust and Hendrickson is a member of the Water Commission.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

My Turn: The more green electricity, the better

By Sue Klem

Lincoln recently launched a new, greener electricity program, called LincolnGreenEnergyChoice.com. Residents were automatically enrolled in March unless they chose to opt out of the program or were using a third-party electricity supplier.

For about the same price as we were paying before, 45% of the electricity provided to Lincoln residents will be generated from clean renewable sources like wind and solar. This is a big improvement over the 18% renewables supplied by Eversource. Eversource will continue to deliver and bill for our electricity, but First Point Power is our new, greener electricity supplier. 

But we can do even better. You can  have all of your electricity come from renewable sources by choosing to “Opt Up to Lincoln 100% Green” for about $20 more per month for an average household compared to Lincoln Standard Green (the default option that customers were automatically assigned to), To do this, simply call 844-651-8919 or go to www.masspowerchoice.com/lincoln/enroll. 

There are many other electricity supply companies pushing hard to get our business. — but the only program that provides this much green electricity for this low a price is Lincoln Green Energy Choice. The town negotiated this deal for its residents. Do not sign up with another company thinking it is the Lincoln program. Unless the company has LINCOLN in its name, it is not the Lincoln program and does not provide as much green electricity.

Pricing for the three options in Lincoln Green Energy Choice (click to enlarge).

You can also “opt down” to save a little with Lincoln Basic, or you can opt out of the program entirely, although that would be more expensive and provide less green energy. For more information on these options, go to www.LincolnGreenEnergyChoice.com.

Lawn signs

Have you noticed the bright green and yellow lawn signs sprouting up around Lincoln? They indicate homeowners who have opted up to Lincoln 100% Green, meaning that 100% of their electricity comes from clean, renewable sources like New England wind and solar projects. The Lincoln Green Energy Committee is running a campaign with the goal of getting 25% of Lincoln residents to choose Lincoln 100% Green for their electricity supply. It only costs about $20 more per month for the average Lincoln household, and you’ll be doing something important to fight climate change.

To “Opt Up to Lincoln 100% Green,” just grab your Eversource electricity bill and go to www.masspowerchoice.com/lincoln/enroll and choose Lincoln 100% Green, or call 844-651-8919. Your “Opt Up to 100% Green Electricity” lawn sign will be delivered to you soon. Please display it to help spread the word!

  *     *     *

Klem is a member of Lincoln’s Green Energy Committee.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

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It’s garlic mustard season again

Garlic mustard weed (click to enlarge).

This year, the Conservation Department will bring back some of Lincoln’s garlic mustard weed-pulling traditions, but they ask participants to still be mindful of pandemic health and safety guidelines during the ongoing pandemic. Neighborhood pull season is now through May 31.

  • Get free paper leaf bags on Wednesday, April 14 from 9 a.m.–noon at the transfer station and ongoing at Conservation and LLCT offices, courtesy of the Lincoln Garden Club.
  • Drop off filled bags Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m.–3 p.m. behind the DPW on Lewis Street near the cell tower. To schedule a pickup at your house through May 31, contact the Conservation Department at 781-259-2612×8129 or coatese@lincolntown.org. Click here to learn about at-home disposal options for garlic mustard weed.
  • New this year: sign up to pull at one of the town’s conservation areas — you choose the date and time when you sign up for one of the locations. Please note that you are responsible for bringing filled bags to the DPW.
  • Learn more about garlic mustard with this Conservation Commission fact sheet, and register your sightings and pullings in the Nature Groupie Garlic Mustard Challenge.

New bin for donating used books

The Friends of the Lincoln Library (FOLL) has installed a third donation bin at Lincoln Gas and Auto Service at 170 South Great Rd., joining the existing bins at the Lincoln Mall and Tracey’s Service Station. Revenue from online sales of used books by the Bay State Book Co. supports the Lincoln Public Library. While the town pays for the library building and grounds, staff, and books, donations to FOLL pay for the programs offered for children and adults, special equipment, museum passes, and other services and activities.  

Session on wind power in New England

Join MetroWest Climate Solutions for a discussion about the future of offshore wind for New England on Wednesday, April 28 at 7 p.m. Amber Hewett, the National Wildlife Federation’s campaign director for offshore wind energy and co-chair of the Mass. Offshore Wind Committee, will talk about:

  • Legislative developments for offshore wind in Massachusetts and surrounding states
  • New hope for Vineyard Wind in Nantucket Sound
  • Offshore wind in the Gulf of Maine
  • Why New Englanders should support offshore wind as one of the main ways to decarbonize our region and economy.

The Zoom-based presentation will be followed by a Q&A moderated by Rev. Jeff Barz-Snell of First Parish Church in Weston. Register here.

MetroWest Climate Solutions is a growing partnership between First Parish in Wayland, First Parish Church in Weston, First Parish in Lincoln, the Congregational Church of Weston, and other communities and individuals. Their mission is to share strategies for moving towards a low- and no-carbon-based society and economy and to suggest activities that enable individuals to help bring about solutions.

My Turn: Next steps on Massachusetts’s new climate law

By State Sen. Mike Barrett

Bill signing for the Act Creating a Next-Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy took place in the library of the State House, otherwise empty due to the pandemic.

“I have heard words used to describe this piece of legislation — words such as sweeping, landmark, far-reaching, ambitious, bold and nation-leading,” said Senate President Karen Spilka. “I believe it is all of these things.”
Well put. We’re the first state to keep attention riveted on climate by setting emissions limits every five years instead of every ten. The first state to mandate emissions sublimits on the most important sources of greenhouse gases — transportation, buildings, and electric power. The first state to overhaul the charter of its electric power and natural gas regulator to include, alongside price and system reliability, reductions in greenhouse gas emissions.

At the signing, the atmosphere was cordial. Still, peculiar. Why schedule this important ritual — putting the official touch on the most important climate legislation in Massachusetts in over a decade — on a Friday at 2:30? Why issue no invitations to the advocacy organizations, despite the pivotal roles they played? And why did Gov. Baker spend so much time saluting the valuable yet modest energy bills of years past, and so little time celebrating the law he had just signed?

I sense a problem, and I’m uneasy. I hope the governor is not toying with the idea of disregarding legislative intent by means of a pinched reading of the bill. That would not do. Most people could not give a hoot about keeping a scorecard on the legislature and the executive — who’s winning and who’s losing — but they do care about people in power following the law.

The administration needs to get with the program quickly. Next-Gen sets a number of deadlines:

  • On July 1, Gov. Baker will have three new vacancies to fill — green building experts, all — on a reconstituted Board of Building Regulation and Standards, a low-profile entity with enormous sway over energy use in new construction.
  • By July 15, 2021, the administration must set a first-ever greenhouse gas emissions reduction goal for Mass Save, the popular home energy efficiency program.
  • No later than July 1, 2022, the administration must adopt emissions limits and sublimits for the year 2025, together with a “comprehensive, clear and specific” plan for operating within them.
  • By 21 months from now, the administration must develop and promulgate a new “municipal opt-in specialized stretch energy code” that includes “net zero building performance standards” and a definition of “net zero building.”

This last one promises an ongoing battle. It’s no secret the governor vetoed an earlier version of the climate bill on the prodding of builders and developers. Taking note of the increasing urgency of global warming, we responded to the pushback by doubling down on “net zero” in the version of the bill that became law.

My constituents have been instrumental in seeing to it that Massachusetts passed the most ambitious climate bill in the country, which is cause for celebration. Now we need to make sure it gets implemented well.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

My Turn: Opt in for 100% renewable electricity in new Lincoln program

By Ed Kern

I’ve been seeing lots of web ads lately for Clearview Energy touting “Save money on energy, we provide cheaper 100% green electricity.” As with much on the web, this is both true and misleading. Clearview’s product has two components: (1) actual electricity purchased from generators in New England and Canada and (2) Renewable Energy Credits (RECs), most likely bought from wind farms in west Texas where wind speeds are higher and open lands are abundant.

There is no way that Clearview can import electric power from Texas wind energy projects to Lincoln. Texas has 86 GW of generation capacity, but under 1 GW of transmission capacity for exporting power to states immediately to its east. The RECs sold by Clearview are not associated with New England generators providing “cheaper 100% green electricity.” This “cheap” green electricity is being generated and consumed in Texas and you are being asked to help pay for it.

The key to assuring your electricity is truly renewable is to buy RECs minted in your regional power pool. Massachusetts is in the New England Power Pool. Texas has its own — recently infamous — pool serving only Texas. Most power generated within a pool is consumed in the same pool, and that’s certainly the case in Texas.

In Massachusetts we are incrementally ratcheting up the percentage of green electricity all suppliers are required to provide (currently 18%). In Texas, a rather low goal was set 20 years ago and was exceeded threefold in about a third of the time allowed. Texas is not increasing its green requirements, so there is no Texas market for their excess RECs, which are now selling for under $0.002 per kWh; and being offered to you for about the price of a New England REC, now about $0.04 per kWh — higher priced because we are driving demand for RECs via the Commonwealth’s renewable requirement of 18% (and growing).

Lincoln’s Green Energy Choice (LGEC) program is buying these higher-priced RECs and is driving construction of renewable energy plants in New England — not buying Texas RECs cheap and selling them high to naive though well-meaning “green” consumers. These concepts can be confusing, and marketers are targeting communities transitioning to cleaner power such as Lincoln to sow confusion and make a fast buck with their “cheaper 100% green” claims.

Please don’t be fooled. Lincoln’s program is a good one and offers an affordable path to a greener future — and the best way to realize this goal is to “opt up” to the Lincoln 100% Green option. This month, Eversource Basic customers in Lincoln who did not opt out, as well as those who were already using a third-party supplier (about two-thirds of households in total) were automatically switched to the Lincoln Standard Green option, which provides an additional 27% renewable electricity from New England over and above the minimum amount required by state law, for a total of 45% clean, renewable electricity from New England. But we can do better by signing up for the Lincoln 100% Green option, which provides 100% clean, renewable electricity from New England.

The signups for Lincoln 100% Green have been going slower than I would’ve expected in Lincoln, — only about 5% of the town. My hope is that some residents may not yet have taken the time to learn and reflect on the proposition and its relatively modest marginal cost.

The Lincoln Green Energy Committee has set a goal of having 25% households “opt up” to the Lincoln 100% Green option in time for Town Meeting on May 15. It’s ambitious but attainable; the cost is modest but not “cheap.” Please consider “opting up” to 100%. You can easily do this by going to www.masspowerchoice.com/lincoln/enroll or calling 844-651-8919. (If you’re a customer of a third-party electricity supplier, you need to contact the supplier to terminate the relationship before signing up for the Lincoln Green Energy Choice program.)

Kern is a member of the Lincoln Green Energy Committee but is not speaking for the LGEC in this piece. He can be reached at edwardkern@gmail.com.

”My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.