Greener Government

The City of Somerville is committed to improving the sustainability of city facilities and operations to both reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and to save money.

In 2011, Somerville was designated a Green Community by the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER), which has qualified the City to receive grant funding from DOER to help finance energy efficiency projects throughout the City. In 2014, the City completed a GHG Inventory to understand Somerville’s contribution to climate change. This analysis looked at all GHG emissions generated within Somerville’s borders and took a closer look at emissions from city government operations. The findings are helping us to prioritize energy conservation measures in city facilities and operations. The City is also taking sustainability into account when making long-term investments in new buildings and infrastructure. When the East Somerville Community School needed to be rebuilt, the school was designed with sustainability in mind and is now a LEED-certified school.

Energy Conservation Projects

With support from Green Communities funding and utility incentives, the City has upgraded lighting in four schools, the City Hall Annex, and at Traffic and Parking. Streetlights and outdoor lights are also being replaced with more efficient LED lights throughout Somerville. When complete, streetlight replacements will save the City an estimated $264,815 a year on its lighting bills.

The City is also working on greening its fleet of vehicles by switching to electric and hybrid vehicles when possible. The city currently has four electric vehicles and is looking to add more. All electric cars feature the SustainaVille logo, so be on the lookout for them around the City!

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