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12/12/2018 07:30 AMDuring the fiscal year 2017-’18, the Town of Essex has made impressive progress toward its goals of making Essex a more sustainable community:
Goal 1: Reduce municipal electric consumption by 20 percent from the baseline year of 2010. Achieved a 28 percent reduction in electricity use in municipal buildings.
Goal 2: Increase purchase of clean energy for town buildings to 20 percent of total purchased energy. Achieved: 36 percent of the electricity used in town buildings was clean energy from solar panels on the elementary school and the hazardous waste building.
Goal 3: Reduce heating fuel oil consumption by five percent. Achieved a nine percent decrease in total fossil fuel consumption (oil, natural gas, and propane) compared to the base year of 2010. Fuel oil use was reduced by 82 percent due to the replacement of oil-fired heating systems with higher efficiency natural gas and propane fired boilers.
Goal 4: Increase the amount of recyclables in tons. Achieved: a 15 percent increase in recyclables compared to Fiscal Year 2010-’11 levels.
Goal 5: Increase the amount of household hazardous waste collected. Achieved an eight percent increase from Fiscal Year 2010-’11 in the amount of household hazardous waste collected.
Other notable contributions toward energy conservation goals in Essex include: from 2010 to 2017, 457 homes in Essex had a Home Energy Solution (HES) audit (15.4 percent of total homes) to evaluate their energy efficiency. Since 2010, 53 businesses have had a similar audit (Small Business Energy Audit).
On May 3, the Essex Board of Selectmen voted to join a statewide initiative, Sustainable CT, that promotes a broad menu of sustainability practices that aims to ensure the health and well-being of current and future residents of Essex while respecting the finite capacity of the natural environment. At the town’s request, the Essex Citizens for Clean Energy committee changed its name to Sustainable Essex and expanded its focus to a broad range of actions encouraged by Sustainable CT. These include improving watershed management, supporting arts and creative culture, reducing energy use and increasing renewable energy, implementing “complete streets” (streets that meet the needs of walkers and bikers as well as cars), improving recycling programs, assessing climate vulnerability, supporting local businesses, and providing efficient and diverse housing options. Anyone interested in joining this committee should contact Betsy D’Amico at 860-767-4340 x123 at the Essex Town Hall.