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Mar 30 2008, 12:22 PM EDT (current) joshuarr 98 words added, 13 words deleted
Mar 9 2008, 8:41 PM EDT joshuarr 1 word added, 1 word deleted

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OurCredentials
This initiative was approved by the Winchester Board of Selectmen on March 24. It is co-sponsored by the School Committee, Sustainable Winchester, Winchester Trails, Friends of Upper Mystic Lake, and Environmental Partnerships.

The MissionOverview
MaximizeThis Winchester'sinitiative is part of accessa larger project of matching funds and participation bonuses designed to granthelp moneytowns forengage in renewable energy projects byand promotingto residentsupport contributionsthe development of wind power in New England. Contributions to the New England Wind Fund.Fund trigger matching funds by the MTC from its Renewable Energy Trust. Towns meeing participation quotas are eligible for bonus funds for specific uses.

How Winchester Can Get Grant Money for Renewable Energy Projects
The Mass Technology Collaborative (MTC) awards grant money to Massachusetts towns for renewable energy projects. These funds come from the large fund it has amassed from over a decade of surcharges on our electricity bills. One or their award programs is a partnership with the Massachusetts Energy Consumer's Alliance (known as Mass Energy for short): for every tax-deductible dollar contributed by a Massachusetts town's residents to the New England Wind Fund, which purchases Renewable Energy Certificates from New England wind projects, the MTC's Clean Energy Choice matching grant program places one dollar into a Clean Energy Choice fund earmarked specifically for that town, and places another dollar into another fund earmarked for poorer communities. This program is already in effect, and Winchester is already accumulating a Clean Energy Choice fund. The contributions are tax-deductible.

What Can Winchester Do with its Clearn Energy Choice Fund?
How those funds are to be spent is to be determined by agreement between the town and the MTC. It may go to PV on public buildings, or to trash bins with PV-powered compactors, or to some other renewable energy project agreeable to both parties. Some towns have used the money to develop an energy plan and to staff a position to work on energy issues.

How Winchester Can Boost its Grant by Meeting Participation Quotas
In addition to the matching funds programs for renewable energy projects, there are two participation bonus programs that can bring additional funds into a town's Clean Energy Choice fund. Both programs specify a minimum participation quota on the number of households that make qualifying contributions to the NE Wind fund between May 1, 2007 and April 30, 2008.
  • The 3% Program's quota is 3% of the town's households (which in Winchester is 232 households). The bonus is an additional $50 per contributing household. Winchester's 232 minimum households would result in a minimum bonus of $11,600.
  • The Solar Challenge Program's quota is 150 households. Under the Solar Challenge Program, the town agrees to commit the first $10,000 of its Clean Energy Choice fund to a 2kw photovoltaic system on a public building, and the MTC kicks in a flat bonus of $15,000 to bring the PV project budget up to $25,000. That budget covers the hardware, the engineering, the installation, and an edicational software package that lets students monitor the system's performance via the internet. (Click for more about the Solar Challenge program.) This bonus is the one that has generated the most enthusiasm, and is the focus of our team's effort.
There's no need for a town to preselect which program it's aiming for -- the choice can be made after April 30 signup deadline has passed.

Definition of a Qualifying Contribution under the Bonus Programs
To be counted toward one of the bonus quotas, a household must either ...
  • make a one-time contribution of at least $100, or
  • schedule a monthly contribution of at least $5.

How to participate
Click here.