Warwick receives Leading by Example Award for green energy efforts

From left, Katelyn Billings, director of communication and engagement with Sen. Jo Comerford’s office; Janice Kurkoski, chair of Warwick’s Buildings and Energy Committee; Warwick Town Coordinator David Young; and Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/LAUREN DIGGIN
Published: 02-03-2025 5:19 PM |
WARWICK — Thanks to the work of a dedicated team of volunteers over the last 17 years, Warwick residents were able to slash town energy use and pave a path forward for green energy, even in a town of just under 800 residents.
The work undertaken by the Buildings and Energy Committee, Town Coordinator David Young and other residents has not gone unnoticed, as Warwick was one of six Leading by Example Award recipients honored last week. The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources award recognizes groups that have fostered “significant and measurable environmental and energy benefits.”
Buildings and Energy Committee Chair Janice Kurkoski joined Young in Boston last week to accept the award on behalf of the town. In an interview Monday, Kurkoski said the work the committee has done, which began in 2007, started with hands-on work, like sealing town buildings, adding adjustable thermostats and installing insulation.
“We were all tradespeople, so rolling up our sleeves was easier than picking up a pen,” Kurkoski said, adding that applying for grants has become part of the committee’s toolkit over the last two decades. “It was a very practical approach, plus it showed people how easy it is to do. … A lot can be done with volunteers and no budget, or a small budget.”
Warwick was recognized alongside Malden, the state Office of Vehicle Management, Massachusetts State Police and representatives from Salem State University and the city of Lowell.
“Trailblazers at the state and local level are leading by example every day to help Massachusetts achieve its climate goals,” Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper said in a statement. “Today’s award ceremony is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate their successes fighting climate change, lowering costs, and making Massachusetts a healthier place to live and work.”
As the Buildings and Energy Committee moved on to more long-term projects, it has used grants — bringing in hundreds of thousands of dollars — and other money to buy energy-efficient heat pumps, host an out-of-town solar field in West Brookfield, and buy electric and hybrid vehicles for town departments. Warwick was designated as a Green Community by the state in 2015 and has since cut its energy use by more than 20%.
The new challenge, Young added in an email, is determining how to further cut Warwick’s energy usage, much of which comes from the Highway Department. That energy, he said, is necessary to the function of the department and keeps roads open.
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“Half of Warwick’s energy use is highway-related and difficult to contain and is especially sensitive to weather events. We host a lot of miles of road though state forests and connecting our 700-some residents,” Young said, noting that much of the work the Buildings and Energy Committee undertook was before Warwick became a Green Community in 2015, making “the recognized gains even more impressive.”
Young added that the town also applies for energy rebates, which are then put into a Town Meeting-voted revolving fund that can then be used to support more green energy projects.
On top of having a dedicated committee, Kurkoski said the key to Warwick’s success has been a “very sympathetic” Selectboard and Young, who she described as a “very keen bean counter.”
“Most people here get it and our approach is, ‘Hey, this is wasteful, let’s save some money and let’s do it at the town level, so they can see and feel how much better it is,’” she said. “There’s a lot of very skilled people in town that could look and feel what an improvement it was.”
These years of work, Kurkoski added, provided a reminder “about the spirit of volunteerism,” which will continue in Warwick, as the town recently appropriated $175,000 at a Special Town Meeting to place a solar array on the new volunteer-built Fire Station.
“We’re planning to electrify everything we can and we’re well on our way,” she said. “There’s a lot more to do.”
Chris Larabee can be reached at clarabee@recorder.com.