City of Marlborough goes green
By Angela Greiner Contributing Writer

(l to r) Green Marlborough members Susanna Cerni-Price and Jennifer Boudrie, Department of Public Works Assistant Commissioner Doran Crouse, Green Marlborough members Jayne Wilson and Mike Manning, Mayor Nancy Stevens and Conservation Officer Priscilla Ryder gather as Stevens signs the "U.S. Cities for Climate Protection Pledge" Nov. 15. PHOTO/SUBMITTED

Marlborough - With the city's electricity consumption up 25 percent from 10 years ago, Mayor Nancy Stephens's decision to sign the "U.S. Cities for Climate Protection Pledge" Nov. 15 could not have happened at a better time.

"It is important to lead by example," Stevens said. "Therefore, by taking the steps outlined on a city level we hope to encourage all city residents to follow suit."

What this means is that, like 800 other cities, Marlborough is committed to implementing energy and environmental changes that will reduce greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

Jennifer Boudrie, a founding member of Green Marlborough, explained that the mayor signing the pledge was important for the city.

"This gave us the green light to move forward," she said.

The pledge is the first step of a four-part process. The next is to take an inventory of the city's energy usages and issues, then establish an action plan, and conclude by implementing that plan. The plan would be developed by a task force made up of city employees, residents and energy conservation experts.

According to Boudrie, Marlborough's task force can model its plan on those developed by other nearby cities, like Worcester.

Boudrie, who has already completed the inventory phase, predicted that the city will be ready for the implementation phase by late spring 2008.

What the inventory process concluded was that the city produced 900 million pounds of CO2 in 2006. The data also tracked the municipal, residential and commercial usage of electricity, natural gas, oil, gas and water, and the recycling rate.

The most significant observation Boudrie made was the 25 percent increase in electricity usage. The U.S. Congress is seeking an 80 percent electricity reduction by the year 2050.

Boudrie has set a preliminary conservative target of reducing the city's electricity consumption by 1 to 2 percent by the year 2010. The initial goal is an achievable one that could be met, she said, by merely replacing incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs and, at night, unplugging electrical appliances that create phantom loads.

With only 7 percent of the increase in consumption explained by residential and business development, the majority of the increase is the result of consumers simply using more electricity.

"It is the classic case of people having more money buying bigger homes, bigger cars and consuming more," Boudrie said.

To reverse the city's consumption of electricity, Boudrie said, the solution must come from a commitment by the consumers, both residential and business.

Boudrie was encouraged by the city's commitment to reduce energy use.

"The city is already doing a lot," she said.

The natural first step for communities, Boudrie said, is to replace existing traffic lights with LED lighting, which in Marlborough would result in a financial return within two years. She explained that the city has begun the initial investigative steps about acquiring incentives to fund some of the conversion.

For more information about becoming involved with the city's eff orts to go green, visit www.greenmarlborough.org.