POR 2023-40
Asked the City Manager to direct the appropriate City Departments to work with Eversource to include in their annual reporting, updates on their work to move forward with providing the infrastructure required to move Cambridge toward electrifying the city
POR 2023 #40 by adding at the end of the third “Whereas” the words “and this cannot be accomplished by 2035” after the word “City” and before “;” and by deleting the sixth “Whereas” in its entirelyThe clerk's words, from the minutes of Mar 6, 2023, p. 9.
the proposed ordinance by adding and deleting words. Copy AttachedThe clerk's words, from the minutes of Mar 6, 2023, p. 10.
View the roll call
Voted yes (9), unanimous
Burhan Azeem
Dennis Carlone
Alanna Mallon
Marc McGovern
Patty Nolan
E. Denise Simmons
Paul F. Toner
Quinton Zondervan
Sumbul Siddiqui
O-5
Calendar Item # 3
The world is facing an existential crisis with climate change, and it is incumbent on individuals, cities, states, and countries to make every effort to address this crisis head on and with urgency; and
The City Council has been meeting to discuss the Building Energy Use Disclosure
Ordinance (BEUDO) with the goal of moving Cambridge away from fossil fuels and to green energy; and
Economic Development and University Relations Committee meetings held on November 2, 2022, and January 24, 2023, Eversource, who is the supplier of energy to the City of Cambridge, indicated that in order to provide the infrastructure needed to move Cambridge to 100% green energy, it would require the development of 4 additional substations and 16 additional transformers placed throughout the City; and
Eversource indicated that from start to finish, including site identification, community process, permitting and construction, each sub-station can take between 8 and 12 years to build; and
Eversource indicated that in addition to approval from the City of Cambridge, they would also need approval from the Department of Public Utilities, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and permits from neighboring communities to run the required infrastructure through their communities to supply the Cambridge substations; and
Eversource made it clear that even if Cambridge passes BEUDO, the infrastructure is not in place to meet the ordinances goals and would not be in place by 2035; and
In response to the City Council's request, in 2020, the City created regular coordination with utilities such as Eversource, and an annual public presentation at the Planning Board similar to the annual Town Gown reporting by educational institutions; and
Since 2021, the Eversource annual presentation at the Planning Board includes service demand projections, load forecasting, infrastructure improvement plans, energy conservation programs, and other relevant topics; now therefore be it
ORDERED: That the City Manager be and hereby is requested to direct the appropriate City Departments to work with Eversource to include in their annual reporting, updates on their work to move forward with providing the infrastructure required to move Cambridge toward electrifying the city, including identifying the locations of the required substations and transformers, plans to hold community meetings, the status of necessary permitting, including status of conversations with neighboring communities, and that these annual reports be submitted to the City Council.
In City Council March 6, 2023. Adopted by the affirmative vote of nine members. Attest:- Diane P. LeBlanc, City Clerk
A true copy;
ATTEST:-
Diane P. LeBlanc,
City Clerk
History: 02/27/23
City Council
CHARTER RIGHT
Next: 03/06/23