Grant partners stand in front of a new all-electric school bus. Pictured left to right: Emo Chynoweth, Vice President and COO, Butler’s Bus Service; James Fenn, Mountain Views Supervisory Union Director of Finance and Operations; Brian Cressey, President of W.C. Cressey & Son ; Harry Falconer, Shared Energy Coordinator, TRORC. Photo by Jenevra Wetmore.
In 2020 Woodstock passed a Climate Emergency and Action Resolution, with a goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030. This declaration meant that we as a town were taking climate change seriously and willing to put time, money, and energy into solving it. In the same year, Sustainable Woodstock advocated for a shared energy coordinator for the Town of Woodstock to help the town reach its energy goals. This position– originally called the Intermunicipal Regional Energy Coordinator or “IREC,” and now renamed the “Shared Energy Coordinator” or “SEC”– has existed since 2020. In 2024 Harry Falconer assumed this role, which is run through Two Rivers-Ottauquechee Regional Commission (TRORC). As we near the end of 2024, we would like to highlight the many accomplishments of the SEC position, and to look ahead to what is coming in 2025.
The SEC serves the Towns of Bradford, Norwich, Sharon, Strafford, Thetford, 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 work of the position is to lessen overall energy use, lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and move to renewable generation of electricity, all while seeking long term cost savings. Woodstock joined the SEC program in 2020, the program’s first year, and thanks to the ongoing support of Woodstock residents and the Selectboard, the SEC contract has been renewed each year since.
The SEC monitors our municipal GHG (Greenhouse Gas) emissions to understand where the town’s emissions are coming from and track progress towards the town’s net-zero by 2030 goal. As a step toward reaching that goal, the SEC developed a proposal to reduce emissions by 12.5% annually by installing new technologies such as heat pumps in municipal buildings and conducting weatherization measures. The voters approved the financing for these projects at Town Meeting in March 2022, and the Selectboard then approved the proposal. These upgrades will be completed this year and, once they are done, the majority of town buildings will then no longer use fossil fuel as a primary heat source.
In addition to lowering building emissions, The SEC has also taken action to reduce transportation emissions, which are the biggest source of carbon emissions in Vermont. Three all-electric school buses, made possible by a successful application to the EPA’s Clean School Bus Program, are now transporting Woodstock students to and from school. The grant provided $1.125 million dollars for the buses, and an additional $60,000 towards the charging infrastructure. The district paid an additional $63,000 for the charging stations– the only funding the district contributed to the project. The three new electric buses replaced diesel buses that had reached the end of their useful life and were subsequently scrapped.
What is next for the Shared Energy Coordinator? The current SEC, Harry Falconer, is involved in planning for the town’s wastewater treatment plant upgrades and will be checking in with the engineers throughout the design process to ensure all opportunities for energy-efficiency are being investigated. Harry will also monitor the progress of a $1 million Congressionally Directed Spending (aka CDS, or federal “earmark”) request that he submitted through the Senate Appropriations Committee. If funded, this earmark will support the installation of advanced controls to enhance plant efficiency and may also support the installation of solar at the plant.
Harry will also be working with the Planning Commission on a comprehensive strategy to encourage Smart Growth in the town’s East End. 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.
Woodstock voters have shown again and again that climate action is a priority to our town. The 2020 Woodstock Climate Emergency and Action Resolution is proof of this, as was the vote to reduce GHG emissions from our municipal buildings by 12.5% through weatherization and conversion to electric heat pumps. With your support, we hope to continue this important climate work with the invaluable help of the SEC position.
