Wayland energy panel votes 5-0 to prioritize electric school bus charging study

WAYLAND -- April 24, 2024, Wayland energy panel votes 5-0 to force electric school bus charging onto landfill reuse plans. The Energy and Climate Committee, on a motion by Tom Sciacca seconded by Harvey Michaels, asked the Select Board and the Route 20 South Landfill Visioning Committee to evaluate "the cost and feasibility of establishing parking for a fleet of electric school buses with necessary charging infrastructure" before any reuse plan is finalized. Sciacca said the visioning consultant had ranked bus parking a third-tier priority and warned the town will eventually need space for "20 or 25 electric school buses." Chair Ellen Tohn, who said she was "somewhat exhausted by talking about solar at the landfill," kept a separate solar push out of the motion. The committee also backed Article 30, the specialized opt-in stretch code, after EDC research pegged the added construction cost at 1 percent or less.