HomeMy Public PortalAboutPress Release - Watertown receives Green Community Competitive Grant 13 July 2015Press Release —13 July 2015 — Watertown, Massachusetts
On July 8th, Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito announced the Massachusetts Department of
Energy Resources (DOER) awarded a $207,505 Green Community Competitive Grant to the town
of Watertown to replace high pressure sodium and mercury vapor streetlights with highly
efficient and long lasting LED's.
This lighting retrofit project will replace all of Watertown's remaining energy inefficient
streetlights, almost 800, with LED's that will provide equivalent lighting levels while consuming
62% less energy.
The $300,000 project will be fully funded by the DOER award along with an incentive from
Eversource.
The town will save approximately $50,000 per year in electricity costs along with significant
maintenance savings due to the long life (20+ years) of the LED lights.
Additionally, the lighting retrofit will reduce Watertown's CO2 equivalent greenhouse gas
emissions by 234 tons per year.
Watertown has a proud history of sustainability. The town has completed an array of energy
activities ranging from upgrades to reduce energy use in municipal and school buildings to
adopting energy efficiency measures in the building code for new public and private projects.
Since Watertown became a Green Community in 2010, the town has reduced its Municipal
energy consumption by over 12%. This streetlight retrofit, along with other ongoing energy
efficiency projects, will help Watertown continue to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse
gas emissions.
For additional information, please contact Watertown's Energy Conservation Office in the
Department of Community Development and Planning at 617-972-6417.
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Massachusetts
DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY RESOURCES