SUSTAINABILITY & RESILIENCE NEWSLETTER

JANUARY 2023

To a Sustainable New Year!

Now's the time to set resolutions and goals for the year ahead. A perfect opportunity for you to consider how to live more sustainably in 2023. Will this be your year to transition to an all-electric home? Install solar? Start composting? Reduce your consumption? Commit to chemical-free landscaping? Drive less?

Whatever your goals, I hope this newsletter continues to provide valuable resources for you to take the next steps in your sustainability journey.

-Maggie Peard, Sustainability & Resilience Officer

Introducing Lexington HeatSmart: Transition Away from Fossil Fuels with Clean Heating and Cooling

Wednesday, January 4

7:00 – 8:00 pm

Zoom link

Cohosted by Lexington Climate Action Network.

Lexington HeatSmart is a town-wide initiative to empower residents to adopt clean heating and cooling technologies with confidence. 

Through this program you can connect with a trained Energy Advisor who will help you explore clean heating and cooling technology, find local and reputable contractors, compare quotes, and take advantage of available rebates and incentives.

Join for the official launch of the program to:



• Learn more about the technology and the benefits – Mike Simons, Abode Energy Management, Inc
• Hear from a local heat pump owner – Joe Pato, Lexington Select Board and resident
• Learn how to take advantage of the Lexington HeatSmart program – Maggie Peard, Town of Lexington Sustainability & Resilience Officer
• Meet the Energy Advisors – Lexington HeatSmart Energy Advisors
• Q&A

Learn more about Lexington HeatSmart.

Take Advantage of Newly Available Incentives for Household Electrification

The federal Inflation Reduction Act, passed in August 2022, provides generous incentives for households looking to reduce emissions coming from their homes. Now that it is 2023, you are eligible for a slate of new tax credits and other incentives, including:

• 30% tax credits for rooftop solar, battery storage, and geothermal heating systems
• $1,000 tax credit for electric vehicle chargers
• $2,000 tax credits for heat pumps and heat pump hot water heaters
• $1,200 tax credit for weatherization measures
• And more!

Check out Rewiring America's Savings Calculator to see what your household is eligible for. Explore their Guide to the Inflation Reduction Act for equipment overviews, case studies, and a checklist to help you build your own electrification plan.

Options for Saving Money and Energy for Income-Eligible Residents

Energy costs are rising, making it more difficult for many to cover their energy expenses. There are several ways to save money and energy, especially for income-eligible residents:

• Fuel assistance
• Reduced electricity and gas rates through Eversource and National Grid
• Community Choice electricity aggregation
• Community solar

Learn more about these options by visiting our website.

Household Emissions are Above Average in Lexington

Ever wondered how an average Lexington household stacks up in terms of carbon emissions compared to our neighbors? Research from the University of California, Berkeley, published in the New York Times, shows just that.

The takeaway? Average household emissions in Lexington are higher that many of our neighboring communities, especially when compared to more urban areas.

Explore the data.

Be the exception! What steps can you take to reduce the emissions you use to heat and cool your home, get around, and buy the goods/services you need?

Two Cary Library Talks Tackling the New Climate Reality

The 86th Village: A Talk with Author Sena Desai Gopal

Join Sena Desai Gopal for a talk about her experience growing up in Yadahalli, a village in Southern India that will drown in the backwaters of one of India’s biggest, most ambitious dams, The Upper Krishna Project. Ms. Desai Gopal will address the universal problem, often referred to as, “Managed Retreat,” that resettles people displaced by floods, fires, droughts and more.

Wednesday, January 11

7:00 - 8:00 pm

Virtual

Learn more and register

Madeline Ostrander - At Home on an Unruly Planet: Finding Refuge on a Changed Earth

Science journalist and author Madeline Ostrander will discuss her recently published book At Home on an Unruly Planet: Finding Refuge on a Changed Earth. Acting as interlocutor for this conversation is Greg M. Epstein, Humanist chaplain at Harvard and MIT and New York Times bestselling author. 

Ostrander's book is a vivid account of Americans working to protect the places they call home in an era of climate crisis. It asks "How do we find a sense of home and rootedness in a time of unprecedented upheaval?" and "What happens when the seasons and rhythms in which we have built our lives go off-kilter?"

Tuesday, January 24

6:00 - 7:00 pm

Virtual

Learn more and register

QUICK LINKS

Questions? 

Maggie Peard

Sustainability & Resilience Officer

(781) 698-4538

mpeard@lexingtonma.gov

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