Town Council Gives Climate Change The Cold Shoulder, Embraces Energy Efficiency

Projects from the Task Force on Climate Change and Sustainable Community have earned the town approximately $43,000 in energy rebates so far and 15 solar panels free of charge, but the town council was reluctant to adopt the task force's final recommendations Tuesday night. 

"We're disappointed that the council didn't follow our recommendations," said Zell Steever, the chairperson of the task force.  

The report was submitted in February after approximately two years of research by a team of community volunteers. The council convened Tuesday night to discuss these four recommendations to the town:

1. Resolve to support climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies as central organizing planning and development principles for Groton; 
2. Establish an Office of Climate Change and Sustainable Community in the Town Manager's Office, staffed by a mid-level Climate Change Officer; 
3. Establish a permanent Task Force on Climate Change and Sustainable Community; 
4. Establish a revolving fund created by the dollars saved in energy efficiency and energy rebates to fund additional public energy efficiency and conservation retrofit projects in the community. 

But, much of the discussion was about the establishment of the Climate Change Officer position, which did not receive support initially.  

Councilor Deborah Monteiro, a self-confessed skeptic of climate change mitigation, opposed the position in "any way, shape or form" unless that person could also find grants to pay for the position. 

Town Manager Mark Oefinger said, "I think definitely having a person that is dedicated primarily to do some of this follow-up would be very important."

Oefinger said the only standing in the way of creating the position is money. 

Steever said that any money spent on the energy officer position would be money well spent and he gave the example that an energy officer in Stamford saved the town more than $19.4 million dollars in 10 years. 

After some discussion about hiring an intern or spreading out responsibilities to Town Hall staff, the council charged Oefinger with providing recommendations for funding such a position. 

The council also discussed establishing a permanent committee but with an emphasis on energy efficiency not climate change. The council thought Energy Efficiency and Conservation Committee was a good name but according to the task force's Vice Chairperson Syma Ebbin, the name change would not be advantageous.  

"I have a fear that by changing the name of committee to Energy Efficiency (and Conservation Committee), those grants won't necessarily be available," said Ebbin. "Climate change is really what (grant money) is for."  

"There's going to come a point in time where we're going to have a crisis and we're going to have to do something about it," said Steever. "The point of the task force was that if we start now and start to get more energy efficient…we begin to manage our own greenhouse gas emissions but more importantly, we save ourselves a huge amount of money."