AQ Climate and Energy Committee Meeting
Aquinnah Climate and Energy Committee
Agenda
May 6, 2024, 4 pm
MVP Action Grants. The grant proposal was broken into two parts. The request for assistance in buying the Aquinnah Shop property was filed on April 24, by the Tribe. The request to fund a study of erosion of the Cliffs and possible ways to mitigate it was put off until next year’s MVP action grant cycle. We will benefit from all the work we have already done but will need to resume work this Fall to get everything together for a filing next Spring. We will discuss both projects.
Solar Street Lights. With help from Cape Light Compact, we are evaluating the possibility of replacing our existing street lights with LEDs or solar powered ones. We may seek a Green Communities grant for this. We will discuss.
EV Chargers. Our existing EV chargers are getting older and have had reliability issues. We are looking into replacing them with more modern ones that will facilitate charging a fee for their use. We may seek a Green Communities grant or EVIP funding for this. We will discuss.
Destination Development Capital Grant. The Mass Office of Travel and Tourism offers a “competitive grant program that will award funds to improve facilities and destinations visited by in state and out-of-state travelers.” Applications are due May 31, 2024. We will discuss the possibility of seeking such a grant on behalf of the Town, for the lighthouse or other purposes.
Energy Transitions Initiative Partnership Project (ETIPP) Technical Assistance Project. We met with the NREL/LBL team on April 8 to discuss further results of their modeling work and next steps to implement their recommendations. They will wrap up their work soon with a final report. We will discuss next steps to work toward a possible RFP for a microgrid project. We’ve learned of one company that specializes in such projects, https://www.scalemicrogrids.com/.
MVP 2.0 Program. DOER is creating a further iteration of the MVP program, called MVP 2.0. Qualifying to participate in the revised program will involve significant activity and community engagement. The Martha’s Vineyard Commission is evaluating whether that process might proceed on an island-wide basis rather than town by town. We may have to qualify for MVP 2.0 before filing an MVP action grant application next spring, as we will be five years out from our initial MVP designation.
Green Communities 2.0. The Green Communities program is also moving into a second phase, called Green Communities 2.0, or Climate Leaders. To become a Climate Leader Community, a municipality must:
Be an existing Green Community in “good standing”
Establish/maintain a local committee to advise, coordinate, and/or lead clean energy and climate activities
Commit to municipal decarbonization by 2050 and formulate a roadmap for implementation
Adopt a ZEV-First vehicle policy
Adopt the Specialized Stretch Code
Aquinnah has adopted the Specialized Code. It can probably satisfy the other qualifications without great difficulty. We will consider a goal of qualifying in 2024. Substantial grants will be available to participants for steps to meet decarbonization goals.
Other Business.
A Zoom invitation is below:
William Lake — Aquinnah is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting
Topic: Aquinnah Climate and Energy Committee Meeting
Time: May 6, 2024 04:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83363369257
Meeting ID: 833 6336 9257
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