The temporary water line running over the Elm Street Bridge will be replaced with a new, flood-ready water main, thanks to an $868,858 grant written by Woodstock’s Shared Energy Coordinator (SEC). Sustainable Woodstock helped create the SEC role in 2020, and our Executive Director sits on the steering committee that guides their work.
In 2020, Sustainable Woodstock, along with community members and Change the World Kids students, advocated for an energy coordinator for the Town of Woodstock to help the town reach its energy goals. This “Shared Energy Coordinator” or “SEC” has existed since then and has accomplished a wide variety of energy projects in town. In 2024, Harry Falconer assumed this role, which is run through Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission (TRORC). As we near the end of 2026, we would like to highlight the many accomplishments of the SEC position and look ahead to what is next.
The SEC serves the Towns of Bradford, Norwich, Sharon, Strafford, Thetford, Fairlee, and Woodstock. Each town appoints a representative to the SEC steering committee, which guides the SEC’s focus. Sustainable Woodstock’s Executive Director Jenevra Wetmore serves on the committee for the Town of Woodstock. The program’s mission is to reduce overall energy use, lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and move to renewable generation of electricity, all while seeking long-term cost savings.
Last year, the SEC applied for and received an $868,858 Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) grant on behalf of the Town of Woodstock. This grant will fund up to 50% of the cost of two key projects to upgrade Woodstock’s drinking water system: the design, permitting, and construction of a new well to replace one of Woodstock’s municipal water supply wells, and the installation of a new water main suspended under the Elm Street bridge that will increase resilience to future flood events. The new well will raise the pressure in the drinking water system to maintain reliable water service, and the suspended line will replace the current temporary line that we’ve become accustomed to running on the sidewalk of the Elm Street Bridge.
The SEC also applied for and received a $1 million Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) grant to go towards the renovation of Woodstock’s Wastewater Treatment Facility. Voters approved a bond to fund the project this past March, and final design and permitting will be completed in October.
The SEC has taken action to reduce transportation emissions, which are the biggest source of carbon emissions in Vermont. The SEC applied for and received a grant for two Level 3 electric vehicle fast charging stations, which were installed on the Woodstock side of the Bridgewater Mills complex this past winter. Fast chargers can charge an EV battery to 80% capacity in 20 minutes on most vehicles. These are now the only fast chargers anywhere on the Route 4 corridor for a 30-mile stretch. The chargers were installed at no cost to the Town of Woodstock. The SEC also received a grant for three all-electric school buses, which will be transporting Woodstock students to and from school this fall.
What is next for the Shared Energy Coordinator? The SEC has been working with the Planning Commission on a comprehensive strategy to encourage Smart Growth in the town’s East End, including an update to the Village zoning bylaw. Smart Growth is a planning approach that aims to create dense, walkable, mixed-use communities by promoting infill development in areas that are already developed. The goal of these changes is to promote the creation of new housing stock, including workforce housing, that will also help to grow the town’s Grand List, making additional investments in public infrastructure more financially feasible. The updated village bylaw draft was transmitted to the Village Trustees from the Planning Commission in July. The Trustees will hold a public hearing on the revised bylaws in the near future.
Woodstock voters have shown again and again that climate action is a priority to our town. With your support, we hope to continue this important climate work with the invaluable help of the SEC position.