Wayland energy committee sets Oct. 3 Loker solar shutdown, eyes ribbon-cutting

WAYLAND — September 17, 2024 — Wayland Energy and Climate Committee sets fall solar, grant and green-power agenda. Sustainability Manager Abigail Shud told the committee Tuesday that the long-delayed Loker School solar array will go offline Oct. 3 for a final breaker installation before interconnection, clearing the way for a ribbon-cutting with state Reps. Carmine Gentile and David Linsky and state Sen. Jamie Eldridge. Chair Ellen R. Tohn led a discussion of two competing Green Communities applications due between Oct. 7 and Oct. 18 — Town Hall attic insulation versus a roughly $100,000 high school retro-commissioning project. Member Neil Gordon outlined a possible municipal revolving fund modeled on Natick's, which would require a town-meeting bylaw change to capture utility rebates. The committee voted 5-0 to approve the fiscal 2024 annual report with edits separating competitive grants from rebates. New Facilities Director Michael Fea, who replaces Ben Keefe, said balancing electrification with reliability "is going to be a tough balance, but I think we can do it."