Climate Change Resources

Since climate change is a top priority for our members, our State and National Issues Subcommittee has compiled a catalog of materials that offer informative and interesting insights into this important topic.

If you view material within the catalog, please consider sharing your thoughts and feedback by sending a brief email to subcommittee chair Mike Potishnak, mpot@charter.net.

Local Resources

Belchertown's Climate Resilience + Sustainable Growth Plan

The Climate Resilience and Sustainable Growth Plan serves as a critical component of the Belchertown’s phased update to its Master Plan. These are the seven basic goals of the Master Plan:

Working and natural lands. Support and maintain the aesthetic, function, protection, and sustainable growth of working and natural lands.
Housing. Increase housing choices, encourage smart-growth housing development, and establish funding mechanisms to enable and protect more affordable housing options.
Transportation. Increase connectivity, expand access, and encourage active modes and a transition to zero emissions transportation.
Food security. Support agricultural business retention strategies, ensure the long-term viability of Belchertown producers, and establish robust food recovery systems to strengthen food security.
Energy efficiency and resilient/renewable energy. Utilize more renewable energy sources and increase energy efficiency and reductions in overall greenhouse gas emissions.
Land conservation, open space, and recreation. Develop management plans and bylaws for existing conservation areas, and identify funding opportunities and incentives to promote further land conservation.
Equity and environmental justice. Advance equity and environmental justice through the implementation of the strategies included in the Climate Resilience and Sustainable Growth Plan.

Belchertown Energy and Sustainability Committee (BESC)

The BESC aligns its goals with Belchertown's Climate Resilience + Sustainable Growth Plan. The committee’s efforts include the following:

Belchertown Community Energy Choice Municipal Aggregation Program. The BESC led the effort to give Belchertown residents a choice among electric energy products with differing amounts of renewable energy in them. The program became effective in June 2024.

Event composting. The BESC has implemented event composting at events such as Food Truck Fridays and will expand efforts as feasible in the future.

Tree planting. The BESC is collaborating with other town departments to plant more trees to obtain climate-related benefits associated with tree canopies.

Electric vehicle infrastructure. The BESC has applied for a grant to install four electric vehicle level 2 chargers between the Town Hall and the library.

Education and outreach. The BESC has written numerous articles for the Sentinel to provide the community with information on topics such as recycling, pollination, energy conservation, and biodiversity.

Belchertown Community Energy Choice

The Town of Belchertown launched its electricity supply program, Belchertown Community Energy Choice, in June 2024. The program is a municipal aggregation, which is already offered by nearly 170 cities and towns in the State, including nearby Hadley and Charlton.

Belchertown Community Energy Choice will offer three new electricity supply options to all Belchertown residents and businesses. The Town’s primary offering, Belchertown Standard, will cost less than the current National Grid Residential Basic Service rate, while also providing an additional 10% renewable energy (though future savings cannot be guaranteed). Belchertown residents and businesses may also choose from two other options: Belchertown 100, which has 100% renewable energy, and Belchertown Basic which just meets the State minimum standards for renewable energy.

Belchertown Community Energy Choice will provide long-term price stability, with prices fixed for 42 months, until December 2027. The program will also support the growth of renewable energy here in New England because all additional renewable energy will come from “Class I” sources. Those are primarily wind and solar, all located within New England.

Belchertown residential and business electricity customers using National Grid Basic Service supply are eligible for automatic enrollment in the Belchertown Standard as of their June meter read. In the beginning of April, all such eligible customers received a Notification Letter on behalf of the Town from the chosen electricity supplier for the program, Dynegy. The letter notified them of the upcoming enrollment and provided instructions on how to choose a different program option other than Belchertown Standard or how to opt out of the program (i.e., not participate).

Participation in Belchertown Community Energy Choice is voluntary. Anyone that does not want to participate may opt out without penalty any time.

Electricity customers who are currently enrolled with a third-party supplier will not receive the Notification Letter and will not be automatically enrolled. These customers can voluntarily join the program, but are advised to check with their current supplier in case it may charge penalties or early termination fees if they leave that supplier during the term of their contract.

Participation in Belchertown Community Energy Choice only changes the “Supply” portion of your National Grid electricity bill. National Grid will still continue to manage electricity billing, maintain poles and wires and respond to storm outages. Customers using budget billing or receiving low-income rate discounts will continue to receive those discounts without interruption. Similarly, customers receiving net metering or other solar benefits will continue to receive those benefits.

The table below shows the prices for Belchertown Community Energy Choice, compared to National Grid Basic Service. Belchertown Community Energy Choice prices apply to all Residential, Commercial and Industrial customers:

Does Joining a Solar Farm Make Sense for You?

You may have received mail solicitations during the past few years about having a share of the energy produced by a solar farm assigned to you. By accepting an offer to receive a solar farm share, more renewable energy and less fossil fuel-based energy will be provided by the electric grid--while saving money on your total energy bill. Here's how it works:

The solar farm operator must have a customer willing to receive the energy produced by the solar farm. This is where you (and other customers) come in.
After the completion of a month, you will be assigned a portion of the energy delivered to the grid by the solar farm, as determined by the solar farm. The kilowatt-hours (kWh)of energy assigned to you is multiplied by the prevailing solar renewable energy credit price, and it shows up as a dollar credit on your energy bill. You must then pay the solar farm a discounted price for that assignment.
Example: If the solar farm offers a 10 percent discount and you are assigned 500 kWh for a month with a 30¢/kWh solar renewable energy credit price, you will receive a $150 credit applied to your energy bill. You will pay the solar farm only 90% of that credited amount, $135, so you come out $15 ahead for that month on your energy bills.

Customers receiving such solar farm shares have successfully lowered their energy bills, while providing a stimulus for renewable energy and reducing the production of fossil fuel-based energy. A prospective solar farm participant should consider the following in determining whether to join the solar farm:

Extra work of making an additional monthly payment
Dollar penalties associated with withdrawing from participation
Lead time before you actually receive the energy assignment
Lag time should you choose to stop participating
Having a solar farm operator that is willing to work with you to ensure that the share size works well for you over time

Contact Mike Potishnak at mpot@charter.net for questions or comments.

Easy Ways to Go Green

By making these simple, painless changes, we can make our planet safer and more comfortable for everyone.

Don’t throw it away: use fewer disposable items. How? Switch to cloth napkins, tell the take-out place to keep their plastic silverware when you’re going to eat at home where you have real (washable/reusable) silverware, bring your own reusable container to the restaurant for your leftovers. Keep a spare set of silverware in your car, and nix the plastic — you get the idea…

Recycle. Not just the stuff you throw in your home recycling bin. Stores that sell tech items (Staples, Lowes, Home Depot) have specialized recycling bins for used light bulbs, empty ink cartridges, batteries, and plastic bags that can’t go in the regular recycling.

Donate. Used electronics can go to charities. Clothing and textiles can be donated or dropped in collection boxes often seen in parking lots. (Check out Recycle Smart'sBeyond the Bin.) Likewise, unwanted household items can be donated to charity (one person’s trash . . . another’s treasure).

Buy recycled. The more you buy goods made with recycled items, the more you are supporting the concept of not sending stuff to the landfill!

When shopping, bring your own containers and reusable bags.

Use it again. Rinse out plastic bags and single-use containers and use them again whenever possible.

Articles and Videos

Who's Delaying Climate Action in Massachusetts? Twelve Findings

This 36-page statistical study was produced for the Climate Social Science Network by the Climate and Development Lab of the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society. It discusses the patterns of support or opposition for climate-related bills in the Massachusetts state legislature. This study was also presented as a webinar and includes an optional evaluation form.

REPORT: Who's Delaying Climate Action?

WEBINAR: Who's Delaying Climate Action?

Phasing Out Gasoline Here and Around the World

This 87-minute-long webinar was produced by the Green Energy Consumers Alliance. It addresses various issues related mainly to replacing gas-powered automobiles with electric vehicles.

WEBINAR: Phasing Out Gasoline

Deep Dive into Electric Vehicle Batteries

This hour-long webinar was produced by the Green Energy Consumers Alliance. It addresses various issues related to battery technology used primarily, but not exclusively, for electric vehicles.

WEBINAR: Deep Dive into EV Batteries

New York Times Magazine: The Climate Issue, June 2021

There are 5 interesting articles related to climate change:

1. "Has the Carbontech Revolution Begun?" (by J. Gertner, June 23) discusses technology to remove carbon dioxide and the need to make the practice profitable.

2. "What If American Democracy Fails the Climate Crisis?" (by E. Klein, June 25) addresses whether American democracy is capable of addressing climate change and the consequences if it cannot.

3. "Can Massive Cargo Ships Use Wind to Go Green?" (by A. Almendral, June 24) discusses carbon spewed into the atmosphere by cargo vessels and possible efforts to reduce it.

4. "The Little Hedge Fund Taking Down Big Oil" (by J.C. Aguirre, June 23) discusses the efforts of an activist investment firm to reduce Exxon-Mobil's carbon footprint.

5. "Climate Change Is Destroying My Country. The Nations Causing It Must Help" (by B. Ferguson, June 23) discusses how island nations pay the price for the emissions of wealthier nations.

Solar Roadways: Solar Panels for Every Walking and Driving Surface

This interesting topic can be reviewed via the following link: https://solarroadways.com.

To review the following State and National Issues Subcommittee materials, please contact the subcommittee chair, Mike Potishnak, at mpot@charter.net.

The Basics of Carbon Capture Technology

This PowerPoint presentation explains the basics of carbon capture technology as it relates to electric power production and industrial processes such as cement manufacturing and natural gas processing. Its potential and limitations in addressing climate change are discussed.

What Electric Power Systems Need to Do When the Sun Doesn't Shine and the Wind Doesn't Blow

This in-depth presentation concerns the challenges and risks involved with decarbonizing our nation's electric power systems, particularly how to achieve acceptable levels of reliability, keep energy costs affordable for consumers, and meet climate objectives. The presentation is best provided in an "in person" setting as opposed to over Zoom. A reality check on the Green New Deal's suggestion that the electric power grid can be 100% renewable in 10 years is included.

Miscellaneous Documents Related to Human-Caused Climate Change

The subcommittee has archived about a dozen documents that address various aspects of the mechanics and reality of climate change. These documents will be provided to interested parties upon request.

Challenges in Replacing Fossil Fuel Electric Generation with Climate-Friendly Resources

This document primarily attempts to do a "CNN-type reality check" on the Green New Deal's aspiration of having our electric power systems become 100% renewable in 10 years. There is some technical detail that addresses the need to preserve reliable operations of the power system.

*Note: Inclusion in the catalog is not an endorsement of the content.

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