It’s encouraging to see towns adopting regulations and bylaws to make it easier to greenlight solar and battery projects, as Amherst is about to do (“New bylaws set to simplify small clean energy projects in Amherst, “Aug 20).
Gazette reporter Scott Merzbach reports that Amherst has spent four years developing this bylaw, taking into account the recent Massachusetts Clean Energy Law and regulations while addressing safety and wildlife concerns.
We have long needed to get up to speed on solar installations, part of the clean energy mix that is such an essential part of addressing the climate crisis. By doing this work, Amherst is providing a model for other communities. Adapting Amherst’s process and bylaw to local conditions could cut the time in half for the rest of us.
Sia Stewart
Conway
