Energy Committee

Meetings

• 8:30 am
• 2nd Wednesday of every month

Agendas & Minutes

Agendas are available before the meetings. Minutes are available and approved.

• View most recent Agendas and Minutes
• View previous years' Agendas
• View previous years' Minutes

Staff

• Kate Guiney, Administrative Assistant

Overview/Updates

Sign up NOW for LOWER electricity rates if you heat your home with a mini-split/heat pump

More info: Lower Rates for Heat Pumps

Lower Rates for Heat Pumps PowerPoint

West Tisbury Decarbonization Roadmap

The West Tisbury Decarbonization Roadmap describes West Tisbury’s municipal building portfolio and covers the various aspects of municipal emissions from building construction, operation, and maintenance, as well as vehicle fleet emissions.  The goal of this Roadmap is to identify Energy Conservation Measures (ECMs) to achieve complete fossil fuel elimination for municipal buildings and vehicles, as well as reduce overall energy use intensity by the year 2040.

West Tisbury Decarbonization Roadmap 2025

Announcement: The EV chargers at the West Tisbury School are live and online.

There are 4 plugs of Level 2 ChargePoint connectivity in the school parking lot just off Old County near the tennis courts (see pic below).

The chargers are available to the public year-round. Payment for the electricity is easy via your phone App.

The EV chargers are sited across from an entrance to the State Forest, where you can access miles of trails and a shared-use path while both you and your car recharge your batteries.

West Tisbury Clean Energy Policies

In April 2024, the Town adopted a Specialized Code (225 CMR 22 and 225 CMR 23) for all new construction. The Specialized Code is a slightly more stringent version of the Stretch Code. For all-electric houses, it's in line with the Stretch Code; for houses that use mixed fuels for heating, cooking, and hot water, it requires installation of solar and pre-wiring for future conversion to all-electric.

The Specialized Code, Article No. 8, Annual Town Meeting 2024 (PDF)

WT Zero-Emission First Vehicle Policy 2025 (PDF)

Energy Efficiency Rebates and Incentives from Cape Light Compact

The Town of West Tisbury and Vineyard Power were selected by the Cape Light Compact as the Community First Partner for Martha's Vineyard, helping to raise awareness about the Mass Save (energy efficiency) Programs and to provide cost-saving energy efficiency upgrades to residents and small businesses in our town.

Visit the links below for information on energy efficiency programs that residents of West Tisbury are eligible for:

1. Participate in Mass Save, a program administered by the Cape Light Compact, for discounts, rebates, financing, and in some cases, free weatherization of your house and conversion to heat pumps. Sign up for a no-cost Energy Assessment.
2. Learn more about Residential Energy Efficiency rebates and incentives, and Energy Savings Tips from the Cape Light Compact.
3. For income-eligible folks, save money on your electric bill by signing up for a variety of electricity bill assistance programs (PDF).
4. Sign up for a no-cost Energy Coaching session with Vineyard Power to receive support in starting your electrification journey.

West Tisbury School Zero Carbon Feasibility Study

The West Tisbury School - built from 1973 to 1995 - is by far the largest energy user in our town and has had the least work done to date to make it energy-efficient in keeping with climate goals set by the Town for 2040 and the State by 2050.

In 2022, an analysis by RDH Building Science, Inc. on behalf of the Up-Island School District Committee found strategies for a more efficient, comfortable, and healthier school for all who come to learn and teach there, based on energy use and building envelope. We encourage you to read the 3 documents below to learn more about our school and ways to improve its learning environment and energy performance.

Clean Energy & Resiliency (CLEAR)

March 2021

The Energy Committee is an advisory body that oversees, reviews, and advises the town on energy use, measures that will help decrease our town's contribution to climate change, and achieve the town's goal to reduce fossil fuel use by 100% and increase the fraction of electricity use that is renewable to 100% by 2040.

CLEAR Report 2021 (PDF)

Charge to the West Tisbury Energy Committee

The Select Board, in view of the climate crisis, which the Governor describes as affecting all aspects of human endeavor, hereby establishes an Energy Committee that:

• Consists of 5-7 members appointed by the Select Board for one-year terms each, dating from the Annual Town Meeting, in three classes, offset by one year, with no term limits.
• Consists of citizens of the town, and one member of the Up Island Regional School Committee or West Tisbury School staff, who are willing to qualify under the West Tisbury standards for Boards and Committees (once adopted) and have or are willing to acquire knowledge of energy resources and administration;
• Annually nominates and elects by majority vote a Chair, a Vice-Chair, and a Clerk at the next meeting after the annual town meeting.

Energy Committee Charge

Mitigate the effects of climate change by leading the town in establishing a clean, affordable, equitable, and resilient energy future.

Energy Committee Mission

Assist and advise the Town in achieving State and Local Energy goals by:

• Accessing State, Federal, and local resources;
• Reviewing and updating Town by-laws and regulations at least annually;
• Promoting and participating in clean, affordable, equitable, and resilient energy programs.

In the Fall of 2020, the Town unanimously passed a resolution to be 100% Renewable by 2040. This resolution applies to all West Tisbury residents, buildings, and vehicles. The Energy Committee is working now to provide our townspeople with information so that they can help us meet this goal. We hope that all buildings and transportation in the town will be converted, over time, to use electricity from renewable sources as their sole energy source.

The Town became a Green Community in 2011, and the Energy Committee has overseen the reduction of the town buildings' energy use by 20% since we joined the program. Our goal is to continue to improve the town buildings' energy performance by increasing efficiency measures and by converting all town buildings over to electricity, provided from renewable sources, for all heating, cooling, and water heating.

We are now working to add the School to the Green Communities program and reduce its energy use by at least 20% and also convert it, over time, to get all its energy needs from electricity.

At present, the solar array at the landfill provides renewably generated electricity for all town buildings. The next goal is to provide resilience to town buildings using solar and battery banks so that our town can continue to function as needed in a prolonged power failure.

To see our current documents and information, go to the Form and Documents button at the upper left.

Contact Us

Kate Guiney

Board Administrator

Email Kate Guiney

Energy Committee

Email West Tisbury Energy

Physical Address
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1059 State Road West Tisbury, MA 02575

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Mailing Address

PO Box 278

West Tisbury, MA 02575

Phone: 774-447-4761

Fax: 508-696-0103

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