I am writing in response to an Aug. 14 letter to the editor about opposition to the gas expansion and what can be done to make our lives more energy efficient. The letter writer and others may not be aware that Northampton (and Amherst and Pelham) have a joint electricity aggregation program that provides more renewable electricity than is required by law. This aggregation is called Valley Green Energy and info can be accessed at https://www.masspowerchoice.com/valleygreenenergy.
The aggregation provides price stability, which is rare in the electric supply arena, and certainly unusual in the investor-owned utility suppliers such as National Grid and Eversource (witness the huge increase in electricity rates in recent winters). The aggregation also provides a 100% renewable option for those who wish for that (as well as a budget option – with only the amount of renewable energy by law).
Further, there are now several programs that will help people switch to heat pumps and answer questions about energy efficiency. One program offers free energy assessments in addition to help transitioning to heat pumps (https://www.northamptonma.gov/2701/No-Cost-Energy-Assessment) while another is run by trained volunteers to help homeowners through the process ( https://community.massenergize.org/NorthamptonMA/ ). I hope this info will be useful to people who want to reduce their reliance on gas. If enough of us switch to electric power, the gas companies will have little excuse to expand the gas lines.
Adele Franks
Florence