CAP in ActionThis week marks the release of the CAP, but many of the strategies are already in motion!
Electric Vehicle users in Acton can soon count on Veterans Field to be a new site for Acton's first fast charging station. The public lot is conveniently located right off of Main St. and Great Rd. and across the street from several locally-owned Acton businesses. Currently, there are 14 public charging ports in Acton for EV users to access Level 2 Chargers, which brings EVs to full battery in a few hours. The Veterans Field fast charger will allow most EV users to charge their vehicles in under an hour! Local businesses across the street from the charging station can expect the fast charger to bring in more customers, as they make use of the charging time to shop in the area.
Businesses can also install their own EV charging stations in their public parking lots. In fact, businesses in Acton have many options to capitalize on green technology and become more sustainable. A recent segment on ActonTV from the Town Sustainability Department and Economic Development Office shared ways to “Green your biz,” such as adding solar panels to rooftops and opting up to the 100% renewable energy supply option, Acton Power Choice GREEN. EnergizeActon also hosted a Climate Café for business owners in July, where green businesses shared how they’ve made use of clean technology, from electric lawn mowers to sustainable packaging, to improve their businesses. 
Acton's Sustainability Director, Andrea Becerra, Acton's Economic Development Director, Julie Pierce Onos and Acton's Transportation and Mobility Fellow, Degen Larkin, talk about ways Acton's businesses can become more green on ActonTV.
Residents are another big slice of the sustainability pie, and the Town of Acton has been working with Energize Acton to help bring clean energy to more homes. Residents looking to switch from gas, propane, or oil heating to the more sustainable electric heat pumps can receive free energy consultations from Abode, who help walk residents or businesses through the process (start here!).
Renters and condo owners can also get in on the green wave. The Town of Acton is working with Housing and Climate Justice for Acton to create an EV charging station pilot program for residents in multi-family homes. EV users in multi-family homes face unique challenges when looking to install charging stations, such as finding available and accessible outlets to use, determining metering costs for electricity usage, and getting the permission of homeowners associations and landlords to add new chargers.
And we wouldn’t want to forget about solar! The Town of Acton is working to bring solar panels to the Wastewater Treatment Plant, the Public Safety Facility (PSF), and Nara Park to bring more clean energy to municipal operations.
Potential location of a new solar canopy at the PSF.
One of the key features of the Climate Action Plan is improving Acton’s resilience to extreme weather events and climate change. The Town of Acton River Street Dam, a defunct mill, poses a flood risk to the houses in the nearby neighborhood. The Town of Acton is working to transform the River Street Dam into a public park, removing the flood-prone components of the dam while preserving historical segments to create a memorial of the old mill.
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