Northampton, Easthampton and Westhampton have joined forces by hiring an energy advocate through grant funding, to help bolster options and resources for homeowners, business owners and landlords hoping to install clean energy systems.
Hired in May, Hannah Davis will help provide and connect residents to clean energy resources. The three communities are among 58 in the state selected to join the 2025 to 2027 Mass Save Community First Partnership, which aims to bring expanded energy services through the help of grant funding.
The three-year, $146,200 grant will fund the position and costs associated with it.
“This grant is really unique in that we are working to support renters, landlords, income-qualified folks, anyone who hasn’t taken advantage of Mass Save energy incentives,” said Davis. “A lot of people tend to think this program is only for high-earning homeowners and that’s not true at all. We’re really trying to get the word out.”
Mass Save is a program that represents the services and resources provided by multiple energy companies with the goal of saving energy for Massachusetts residents, businesses and communities, with the collective mission to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The hire is a part of the local communities’ larger effort to reduce energy use, lower costs, and improve the comfort and health of homes and buildings, by offering community members with no-cost energy assessments. The assessments identify opportunities for energy savings through insulation, weatherization, and high-efficiency heating and cooling upgrades, including heat pumps.
Davis explained there are three components to a home energy assessment. They assess the need for energy saving devices, health and safety of heating systems and potential for weatherization and heating improvements.
“It takes some organizing, convincing and connecting people to all of these resources,” said Ben Weil, director of Climate Action & Project Administration in Northampton. “That is some intensive work that we’re asking Hannah to do, but the pay off is really big because once you do it, you serve a lot of people.”
Davis will work with Mass Save sponsors Berkshire Gas, Eversource, and National Grid, who will focus on reaching renters, landlords, non-English speakers, low- and moderate-income households, and small businesses.
In 2024, Mass Save installed 40,000 heat pumps and weatherized more than 55,000 homes in Massachusetts, according to its 2024 annual report. Additionally, energy efficient programs implemented by the sponsors of Mass Save provided customers with more than $961 million in program incentives in the same year. Homeowners can save an average of 15% on heating and cooling costs, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
“The value of this role is it will provide outreach to the residents of the three towns with the value of saving energy and potential to save money through the Mass Save grant,” said Westhampton Town Coordinator Douglas Finn.
Davis will host drop-in hours for residents on the second Tuesday of each month at the Easthampton Public Library, 9 Park St., from 6 to 7 p.m.
On Thursday at 6 p.m., there will be a tabling at Brewster Court in Northampton, between the E.J. Gare Parking Garage and Northampton Brewery. Additionally, Davis will attend and host more events for each town in the coming months.
“The program is layered with a bunch of other services we are trying to put together so that residents of our cities have good access to all the resources they need to make good decisions,” said Weil. “They can find the heat pump and weatherization services that are right for their house.”
Davis graduated from Smith College in 2020 with a degree in environmental science, working in municipal government since. They emphasized how exciting it is to be able to work in a position that combines their education with the ability to do community outreach.
“I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to reach out to the community and build those connections …,” said Davis. “I’m going to be working to build partnerships, and expand outreach and access to energy efficiency programs.”
Sam Ferland can be reached at sferland@gazettenet.com
