• Get Engaged
• We Want to Hear from You!
• Zero-Interest Energy Efficiency Loan
• Annual SuAsCo Rivers Cleanup
• Significant Drought Still a Serious Concern
• Legislative Update

The Energize Stow newsletter strives to provide you with practical information you can use to make Stow a more sustainable community. We would love to hear from you about what you would be interested in reading or learning about. Please email us at GreenAdvisory@stow-ma.gov with your ideas. Thank you!

The state just launched a zero-interest energy efficiency loan program. The program is for residents served by Municipal Light Plants (MLPs) such as our utility - Hudson Light & Power. Under the program, energy efficiency and clean energy projects such as heat pumps and insulation can qualify for a zero-interest loan of up to $25,000. The program is available to any Stow resident who does not use Eversource gas (Eversource gas customers qualify for the Mass Save HEAT loan).

Interested homeowners should first schedule a free home energy assessment offered by Hudson Light & Power through Energy New England. After the assessment, get a proposal from a contractor for the projects you are interested in and apply for the zero-interest loan from a participating lender. Details on the program, including participating lenders are here. For Stow residents, the closest lender is the Clinton Savings Bank though through the DOER Z-Loan program the entire process of applying for and finalizing the loan can be done electronically. .  

With Hudson Light & Power’s clean and affordable electricity and energy efficiency rebates, the zero-interest loan program is one more reason to Improve your home's efficiency, comfort, and sustainability.

Saturday, September 26, 2026

10:00am-2:00pm

Bedford, Concord, and Framingham

You can make a difference for our rivers! Join the OARS Team for their annual river cleanup to remove trash and debris, restoring ecosystems and supporting safe access to the water. They will host 3 official cleanup sites, one on each of their 3 rivers. Registration is live on their website. Click below for more details and to sign up.

https://oars3rivers.org/events/event/2026-annual-river-cleanup/

Significant Drought Still a Serious Concern

As of the end of August the state continued to classify our area as in a Level 2 Significant Drought. Stow received only about 2 inches of rain in August, well below the region’s historical August average of 3.2 to 3.5 inches. And none of the rain we received impacted our falling groundwater. Our closest USGS groundwater monitoring well is in south Acton, and it showed no groundwater recharge in August. Indeed, the groundwater level there continued to drop. This means that our private wells in Stow continue to be at risk of pulling up silty water or even failing. Even if we have normal September rainfall, the groundwater in our area will likely follow the annual cycle of continuing to drop throughout the fall. (Recharge typically occurs only in the late winter and early spring, and that recharge occurs very slowly.).

What can we do? In a Level 2 Significant Drought the state drought management plan calls for implementing strict measures that minimize the risk of well failures. The key strategy is to stop wasting water and to use it only for essential water uses. Nonessential outdoor water use – such as watering lawns, washing cars, and irrigating golf course fairways – is typically the largest source of water waste during a drought in a town like Stow. Eliminating these nonessential outdoor activities during a Level 2 Significant Drought reduces the daily strain on our groundwater.

Unlike neighboring towns, Stow's water comes almost entirely from private wells. This means there is no regulatory authority that can enforce proper use of water during a drought. It's up to each of us to use water wisely — for our own good and our neighbors'.

Legislative Update

The state’s two year legislative session is in the final stretch and the focus of this session’s work on climate and energy has been on energy affordability. The state as a whole has some of the most expensive energy in the country - particularly for electricity. Fortunately for Stow, we are served by a Municipal Light Plant (MLP), Hudson Light & Power for electricity and our electric rates are well under half those of the large Investor Owned Utilities (IOUs) which serve 85% of state residents. 

The state has set ambitious targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions which depend on switching from the use of fossil fuels, such as fuel oil, natural gas, and gasoline) to clean electricity. Affordable electricity is needed not only for household budgets but also to meet our climate goals.

The reasons for these high electric rates are complex and the bills passed by the House and Senate differ on how best to address the issues. A joint House-Senate committee is working to reconcile the two versions of the bill and it is anticipated a final bill will emerge later this fall.

While the issues being debated do not directly bear on most Stow residents, there are longer term and indirect issues that do have bearing on our community. Stow has benefitted from state grants for energy efficiency which are partially funded through state-wide electric and gas utilities. And as demand for electricity increases with the switch from fossil fuels, new sources of clean electricity will be needed along with upgrades to the electric transmission lines which serve all communities. The Governor recently wrote to the House and Senate detailing her priorities for the bill. Contact Senator Eldridge (James.Eldridge@masenate.gov) and Representative Hogan (Kate.Hogan@mahouse.gov) to weigh in with your priorities.