Green Team eyes innovation in Canton

Charles Owens cannot help but brim with confidence and optimism as he ponders the future of alternative energy in Canton. To Owens, one of four members of Canton’s crack energy committee, conveniently dubbed the “Green Team,” the impending amendments to the town’s already cutting-edge energy policy are simply an act of common sense.

“Why are we doing this?” Owens asks in a rich Texas baritone. “Because it makes good sense.”

With two proposed warrant articles on the docket for the April town meeting, the Green Team looks to augment Canton’s role as a leader in the state’s growing green community.

Aerial view of the Canton Landfill

Article 14 of the warrant proposes to expand the town’s recently approved solar park from 15 to 40 acres. The expansion would push the park, which is already slated to be the largest solar installation in New England, to the borders of the capped landfill on which it is built.

“The Board of Selectmen has already put Canton ahead of the rest of New England by choosing to build a solar park,” said Owens. “If we can expand the footprint of the solar park to 40 acres, it will be a foothold for opportunity and growth.”

Article 28 urges Canton to adopt the “Stretch Energy Code,” already in use by 64 other towns in the commonwealth. Adopting the code would be Canton’s final step in qualifying for the state’s Green Communities Grant Program. The initiative rewards towns that show commitment to the implementation of renewable energy programs with a grant of anywhere between $150,000 and $300,000. However, Canton must first meet the five criteria for becoming an official green community.

Towns must first provide as-of-right siting in designated locations for renewable/alternative energy generation, research and development, or manufacturing facilities. The town must then adopt an expedited 180-day permit process for such facilities. The proposed solar park expansion allows Canton to meet both criteria.

Aspiring municipalities must also establish a benchmark for energy use and develop a plan to reduce the baseline by 20 percent within five years. They are required to only purchase fuel-efficient vehicles, and finally they must adopt stretch energy use to lower energy bills. Canton has already spent $1 million in an effort to bring all town municipal buildings up to the standard of the code.

The Green Team views admission into this growing green fraternity as a catalyst for great economic growth. Given the impressive credentials of the group, who are all Canton residents, there can be very little doubt that their prediction will be spot on.

Owens, a native Texan, is one of the architects of the United States Department of Energy. He served in the Nixon Administration and later consulted presidents Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, and George H.W. Bush on energy matters.

However, Owens’ influence in the field is not limited to the political forum. An accomplished inventor, Owens recently received a U.S. patent for increasing the strength of industrial materials by 10 to 1,000 times. He currently serves as the chairman of Owens & Company, a private banking and investing group, as well as HEXAS LLC, a company that develops and licenses technologies in the field of advanced materials and manufacturing.

Despite his status as an international energy player, Owens remains enamored with Canton’s continued willingness to assume a leadership position in the field of renewable energy use.

“I’ve been at this for decades,” Owens said. “And I see a continuum. This is just a further adaptation. What’s remarkable about this is that Massachusetts, and Canton for that matter, have always been leaders. This state is full of independent thinkers. They see what should be done and they do it.”

Owens is joined on the Green team by Karl Waldman, a 25-year veteran of building and delivering decision support systems to business and military applications; Eric Zine, an attorney and founder of boutique investment advisory and wealth planning firm Elm Street Capital; and Kevin Sullivan, the director of buildings engineering at Maguire Group, a full service architectural and engineering firm in Foxboro.

To these stalwarts of industry and innovation, Articles 14 and 28 simply make good business sense.

“The Stretch Energy Code exposes costs and makes sure everyone is set up to succeed,” said Waldman. “It makes sure that people who buy a building can maintain it, and makes the town more attractive to alternative energy companies. The short-term benefit is receiving the annual grant, and the long-term effect will be the creation of jobs and savings.”

The opportunity for savings has already attracted companies such as Reebok and Dunkin Donuts to Canton. “All these companies have agreed to stretch their energy use because it’s good for profit – this translates to homes as well,” said Owens.

Already more than half of Massachusetts residents live in towns that adhere to the Stretch Energy Code. Owens believes the code will be statewide by 2012.

Owens uses fellow team member Zine, who recently purchased his first home, as an example of how the code can benefit residents as well as businesses.

“Eric recently purchased his first home in Canton,” he said. “He was able to cut his energy costs in half in comparison to the previous owners. Cutting on energy costs will make living in Canton more attractive, and allow people to concentrate on investing in their families.”

“Today’s home shouldn’t be your father’s home,” Owens continued. “You want to be more economical than your father.”

The Green Team sees the Stretch Energy Code as the consolidation of the momentum Canton businesses and residents have created. On the other hand, the committee views the expansion of the solar park as a lynchpin that could transform Canton into a major manufacturing center.

“The solar park can springboard into more jobs and a clean economic environment,” Owens said. “Canton can become the industrial base for exporting technologies to the rest of the country.”

The Green Team has already consulted with other towns, many of whom look to model similar renewable energy centers after Canton’s solar park. Owens has also met with state and federal officials regarding Canton’s role as a possible national model for economic development based on clean energy.

“If you’re on the cutting edge of technology, you’re on the cutting edge of policy as well,” Owens said. “The opportunity of innovation is here now. Massachusetts has always taken the lead in energy innovation – one day its oil prices, the next day its air quality, but it’s always Massachusetts. This latest innovation is an extraordinary opportunity for Canton.”

Click here for the selectmen’s take on the proposed TM articles.

Short URL: https://www.thecantoncitizen.com/?p=3816

Posted by Danny Joseph on Mar 17 2011. Filed under News, Town Government. Both comments and pings are currently closed.