Green Communities

The Town of Weston was awarded designation as a Green Community on December 20, 2011 by the Green Communities Division within the Commonwealth’s Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs. With this designation, the Town of Weston is considered an energy leader in Massachusetts. With funding through the Green Communities Designation and Grant Program, the Town can implement energy efficiency and renewable energy projects to further reduce its energy costs and improve our local environment.
Green Communities Designee Sign

Green Communities Criteria

The Town of Weston had to meet the following criteria in order to be designated as a Green Community:

  1. Provide as-of-right siting in designated locations for renewable/alternative energy generation, research and development, or manufacturing facilities (The Renewable Energy Overlay District was adopted during the 2011 Annual Town Meeting (PDF) - Article 20)
  2. Adopt an expedited application and permit process for as-of-right energy facilities
  3. Establish an energy use baseline and develop a plan to reduce energy use by twenty percent (20%) within five (5) years
  4. Purchase only fuel-efficient vehicles
  5. Set requirements to minimize life-cycle energy costs for new construction. (The Town adopted the new Board of Building Regulations and Standards (BBRS) Stretch Energy Code during the 2011 Annual Town Meeting (PDF) - Article 19)

Weston has received $382,382 in grants since its designation in 2011. 

Sustainable Weston

To ensure the Town continues towards sustainability as a Green Community, a number of residents have recently created the Sustainable Weston Action Group (SWAG), dedicated to exploring sustainability issues in Weston. Representatives from SWAG were invited to present to the Select Board, who expressed an interest in seeing a comparative analysis across sustainability issues between Weston and neighboring towns, as well as suggestions for any steps Weston should take. 

The presentation from the April 3, 2018 meeting sets out an overview of Weston's sustainability status, progress and governance, as compared to a diverse group of MetroWest communities, and identifies a path toward a more sustainable future for our town. 

The first item addressed by the Select Board after the SWAG presentation was to create the Sustainability Committee. This Town Government body will work ensure sustainability issues and opportunities in Weston are proactively managed.