Mayor Wu targets energy efficiency in 2 new steps to make Boston’s buildings greener

As she sets out to build a Green New Deal for Boston, Mayor Michelle Wu on Thursday announced the latest two steps her administration will take to reduce the carbon footprint of Boston’s buildings, which are responsible for roughly 70 percent of emissions in the city.

Wu is slated to file a proposal with the Boston City Council to adopt an optional state building code that would require new buildings using fossil fuels to add solar panels, wiring, and other accommodations to support a future shift to electrification.

Additionally, the Mayor’s Office of Housing will launch a new, federally-funded $10 million grant program to usher in energy efficiency through retrofitting income-restricted buildings with 15 or more units.

“Our focus is taking decisive action now to support our climate, advance justice and bolster livability throughout the City of Boston for all of our residents. To advance Boston’s Green New Deal, we are tackling building decarbonization from all different angles, using all of the tools at our disposal,” Green New Deal Director Oliver Sellers-Garcia said in a statement. “By both adapting existing buildings and setting new energy standards for new buildings, we are taking an all of government approach to reducing emissions in more buildings to ensure our climate’s health and our city’s quality of life.”

If given the green light from the City Council, the city would be among only a handful of cities and towns in Massachusetts to sign onto the “Municipal Opt-in Specialized Stretch Energy Code” since its development late last year.

According to city officials, the specialized code “will result in most new buildings adhering to a highly efficient, all-electric standard,” among other changes.

“Requiring new construction and major renovations to maximize energy efficiency will get us closer to electrifying affordably and make our buildings more resilient,” City Councilor Kendra Lara, chair of the Committee on Environmental Justice, Resiliency, and Parks, said in a press release. “This is a critical step in meeting our decarbonization goals and protecting our most vulnerable communities from the impacts of climate change.”

The retrofitting program, meanwhile, will be offered using federal funds secured by the American Rescue Plan Act, according to the Wu administration.

The initiative will provide up to $50,000 per qualifying unit to install energy-saving upgrades such as efficient lighting and appliances, insulation, new HVAC models, solar panels, and windows and doors.

The city will also offer up to $10,000 in technical assistance grants to assist buildings owners in “learning about their building’s energy use, and laying out a roadmap to achieving a deep energy retrofit of their building,” officials said.

“By investing in green energy retrofits in income-restricted housing, we are creating a more sustainable and resilient city,” Chief of Housing Sheila Dillon said in a statement. “The changes this program will fund will reduce greenhouse gas emissions, contribute to a cleaner, healthier city and will advance Boston’s goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.”

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