SPRINGFIELD — After 14 years of energy-saving initiatives, the city has slashed the amount of energy it uses in its buildings, Mayor Domenic J. Sarno said at a press conference Wednesday.
“Springfield is proud to report that we have a 25% reduction in our energy usage for our municipal buildings and our schools,” Sarno said at the press conference to recognize October as Energy Efficiency Month.
Sarno said the city’s complete energy master plan, which was enacted 14 years ago, had resulted in Springfield being more eco-friendly and sustainable.
A case study, published by the city, documented each effort Springfield has made to conserve energy and go green.
The city turned off its main boilers off during summer months and had public schools implement a recycling program.
In 2018, the city received $1.5 million from the Executive Office of Energy and Environment for the Greening the Gateway Cities Program to plant 2,400 trees within an 800-acre area.
The city has also saved money with new boilers, energy management systems, improvements to air quality in classrooms and domestic hot water upgrades, for instance.
By doing this, the city annually removes 13,309,968 pounds of carbon dioxide, 13,546 pounds of nitrogen oxide, and 20,765 pounds of sulfur dioxide in the atmosphere.
As part of a contract with technology company Siemens, the city plans to save between $40 million to $50 million in energy costs.
“The mayor has led the charge for the past 14 years,” said Patrick Sullivan, director of Parks and Recreation.
According to Sullivan, the Parks and Recreation Department has saved energy by replacing the oil that was burned in each city school and municipal facility with natural gas.
The Parks and Recreation Department also implemented LED lighting in each building.
In connection with his proclamation, Sarno announced the city will join with Ener-G-Save to provide free house evaluations to local residents and business owners that provides no-cost air sealing and rebates for high-efficiency appliances, for instance.
The nonprofit organization is collaborating with Mass Save Sponsors, Berkshire Gas, and Eversource to offer cost-effective energy efficiency solutions to local households and small business owners.
Director of the Parks and Recreation Department Patrick Sullivan. (Jonah Snowden / The Republican)
“We need residents to take advantage of this program,” Sullivan said. “They’re going to save on their fuel bills each month, just by adding another layer of insulation in your attic.”
Ward 8 City Councilor Zaida Govan, also spoke about this opportunity during the press conference and reminded residents they can have an energy assessment every two years.
For more information, visit www.masssave.com.
