At a recent Falmouth Town Council meeting two ordinances were passed that are noteworthy. In a period of unpredictable and rising energy prices and increasing awareness of the impacts of our dependence on fossil fuels, Falmouth citizens brought forward initiatives to obtain loan funds to make their homes more energy efficient and to establish an energy committee.

The first initiative is PACE, a loan program under development through Efficiency Maine. Requiring a town ordinance, this program will provide a systematic approach to energy-retrofitting homes. The loan will stay with the home, not with the homeowner, encouraging homeowners to make and enjoy the upgrades even if they do not stay in the home for a long time. Thanks to Councilor Teresa Pierce for bringing this forward and to all the councilors for their unanimous support.

The second initiative/ordinance of note regards the morphing of the Recycling Committee into the Energy and Recycling Advisory Committee. This new committee will build and expand on the successes of the Recycling Committee and, among other charges, will work with Town Council to consider the Green Ribbon Commission’s Climate Action Plan recommendations. Thanks to Councilor Cathy Breen for helping interested citizens bring this initiative forward and to Councilors Armitage, Breen, Pierce, Rodden and Varney for supporting it.

Claudia King
Falmouth