PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Center for EcoTechnology on Wednesday will host a webinar to help small businesses learn about the benefits of weatherization.
"Right now, due to the current COVID-19 and economic situation, utilities have temporarily increased incentives available to small businesses – in some cases up to 70-100 percent of installed energy saving measures will be covered," said Katherine Butler, the special projects manager at CET.
"This means it’s a terrific time for businesses to pursue these energy efficiency measures. In general, weatherization is a phenomenal way to stimulate the local economy, save businesses money, and help the environment, and we want to help spread the word."
The webinar, which will be held from 1 to 2 p.m., will cover topics including insulation and air sealing, potential costs from energy savings and the new incentives that are available.
"Small businesses are a historically underserved sector, and CET is working with the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, as well as Berkshire Gas, Columbia Gas of Massachusetts, and Eversource on a pilot to develop a model that weatherizes more small businesses," Butler said. "An important component of this is raising awareness of the services and utility incentives available to businesses through the Mass Save program, as well as the benefits for business owners.
"Specific measures we’ll be discussing include insulation, air sealing, weatherstripping, pipe insulation, and direct install measures. These measures often provide businesses energy savings, cost savings, a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, and increased comfort in the building."
Attendees at Wednesday's webinar will be able to participate in a live question-and-answer session with experts.
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Williamstown Select Board Inks MOU on Mountain Bike Trail
By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — A planned mountain bike trail cleared a hurdle last week when the Select Board OK'd a memorandum of understanding with the New England Mountain Bike Association.
NEMBA Purple Valley Chapter representative Bill MacEwen was back before the board on April 22 to ask for its signoff to allow the club to continue developing a planned 20- to 40-mile network on the west side of town and into New York State.
That ambitious plan is still years down the road, MacEwen told the board.
"The first step is what we call the proof of concept," he said. "That is a very small loop. It might technically be a two-loop trail. It's a proof of concept for a couple of reasons. One is so we can start very, very small and learn about everything from soil condition to what it's like to organize our group of volunteers. And, then, importantly, it allows the community to have a mountain bike trail in Williamstown very quickly.
"The design for this trail has been completed. We have already submitted this initial design to [Williams College] and the town as well, I believe. It's very, very small and very basic. That's what we consider Phase 0. From there, the grant we were awarded from the International Mountain Bike Association is really where we will develop our network plan."
MacEwen characterized the plan as incremental. According to a timeline NEMBA showed the board, it hopes to do the "proof of concept" trail in spring 2025 and hopes to open phase one of the network by the following fall.
Williams and the Town of Williamstown are two of the landowners that NEMBA plans to work with on building the trail. The list also includes Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation, the Berkshire Natural Resource Council and the State of New York.
The Charter Review Committee on Wednesday voted unanimously to endorse an amended version of the compliance provision it drafted to be added to the Town Charter. click for more
Developer David Traggorth asked the trustees to make the contribution from its coffers to help unlock an additional $5.4 million in state funds for the planned 54-unit apartment building at the south end of the Cable Mills site.
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The donors, who wish to remain anonymous, say the gift reflects their desire to not only support Williams but also President Maud S. Mandel's strategic vision and plan for the college.
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Neighbors of a proposed subdivision off Summer Street last week asked the Planning Board to take a critical look at the project, which the residents say is out of scale to the neighborhood. click for more