Overview
Since first receiving Green Community designation in 2010, Williamstown has participated in the state program that provides guidance and funding to help municipalities reduce energy use. The designation reflects the Town’s commitment to sustainability, energy efficiency, and environmental stewardship. This work is supported by local initiatives such as the COOL Committee, climate action planning efforts, and green building projects.
Take Action
Energize Williamstown shares practical steps you can take to prepare for a changing climate and cut greenhouse gas emissions. Click the links below to get started.
Green Your Home and Business
- Install heat Pumps
- Choose 100% Green Electricity
- Switch to Electric and Induction Cooking
- Install Solar Panels (Solar Photovoltaic)
- Schedule no-cost Energy Assessment
- Insulate and Air Seal Your Home
Use Green Transportation
- Drive Less/Walk More
- Ride an E-Bike
- Drive an electric vehicle
Buy Less Stuff (Reduce Reuse Recycle)
Compost Food Scraps
Make Your Yard Pollinator Friendly
Town Programs and Community Organizations
- Bee Friendly Williamstown promotes the preservation and expansion of habitat for insect pollinators in recognition of their essential role in the health of our planet’s ecosystems.
- Climate Action Plan guides town efforts to achieve net zero emissions. In May 2024, Williamstown’s Net Zero Task Force, an initiative of the COOL Committee, adopted the plan. The document includes plans for the residential, municipal, and institutional/commercial sectors.
- COOL Committee is a climate action committee that promotes sustainable living practices and inspires community engagement, prompts individual action, and promotes exchange of ideas and practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Energize Williamstown is an initiative of the COOL Committee. Go there to learn how you can take action and report progress you’ve already made to move Williamstown toward net zero.
- Hoosic River Watershed Association (HooRWA) is a citizens’ group that looks after the river.
- Green Building Projects: Please check back. More information coming soon – this could also be part of the chronology in a history page.
- Right to Farm Bylaw legally prioritizes and protects Williamstown’s agricultural heritage by balancing farming needs with development pressures.
- The Transfer Station is a place to take your trash, recyclables, and compost. Residents with a Transfer Station Permit may drop off recyclables and food waste at no additional cost, including fruits and vegetables, dairy, meat, and bones.
- Williamstown’s Solar Field went live in November 2017. The energy credits generated by the site pay for power to municipal buildings, the town’s fire district, streetlights, and the Mount Greylock Regional School District. You can see lifetime and daily energy production of the solar array, information about environmental impact, and more details on SolrenView’s website.