Cambridge Net Zero Action Plan

Next Steps: Electrify Cambridge will continue to provide services as currently designed and re-engage with buildings that participated over the last year. The BlocPower Pilot Program has been extended for an additional year to provide services through FY2025. However, since the drafting of this report the BlocPower pilot has been concluded.

Challenges: It can take months or even years for residents to go from project consultation to the completion of an electrification project, so we are working to re-engage participants to help keep their projects on track. In addition, individual project costs for many electrification measures remain expensive, even with incentives. The BlocPower after program for multifamily buildings is helping address the challenge of upfront costs by providing $0/down financing. Additionally, it can be challenging to coordinate an all-electric replacement an when a failing piece of equipment needs immediate replacement, but our goal for the long-term decarbonization plans provided by Electrify Cambridge is that they help people plan for electrification in advance of such situations.

Local grid capacity has also been a challenge and barrier for some buildings to electrify. The installation of a transformer on-site substantially increases project cost and and there are no current MassSave incentives to cover these costs. Installing a transformer on-site can also present challenges with available space.

Opportunities: Staff has provided comments and suggestions as part of the next iteration of the Mass Save 3-Year Plan.

Next Steps: Staff are working on conducting stakeholder engagement and research which will lead to finalizing regulations per the adopted ordinance amendment. These regulations will provide guidance to building owners about how to calculate their emissions, procure renewable energy to reduce property emissions, and provide requirements for data verification, campus configuration, review board formation, carbon offsets and other aspects of administration. Cambridge and Boston have jointly applied for an IRA grant, along with MA DOER, which would fund a statewide resource hub to be managed by a third-party nonprofit. 

Challenges: Prior to the amendment, BEUDO was already a challenging ordinance to track, administer and enforce. The building performance standards laid out in the amendment add further administrative complexities.  Additionally, because of the diversity of stakeholders that are impacted by BEUDO, the need for a robust public engagement process adds time and complexity to the administration of the ordinance.

Opportunities: Despite the challenges, BEUDO presents the city with an opportunity to be a leader in building performance requirements. As other municipalities look to establish similar policies Cambridge can serve as an example. As the regulations are developed, and the Resource Hub is expanded, there will be opportunities to engage with property owners and help them understand their opportunities for decarbonization.

Next Steps: Staff will continue to monitor performance of the current initiatives as laid out in the NZAP. Additionally, should opportunities arise for state-level advocacy Staff will continue to participate when appropriate.

Challenges: Ensuring that all stakeholders relevant to development in Cambridge are aware and knowledgeable of the requirements that have been created over the past several years will continue to be a manageable challenge. 

Opportunities: Cambridge can continue to be a leader by requiring sustainable building practices. As more municipalities look to establish their own requirements, Cambridge can continue to be a wealth of knowledge and resource for others.

Next Steps: Staff will monitor new, special permit projects that are submitted to the city for review. Projects that meet the requirements for reporting embodied carbon will have their data collected and analyzed by Staff. Once determined to have enough data Staff will establish a baseline target for embodied carbon and work toward establishing reduction targets per the activities listed in the NZAP.

Challenges: As the embodied carbon requirement applies only to non-residential projects very limited data was collected during FY24 as most of the new developments in Cambridge have included residential. A challenge for this action is the current development landscape and environment for new construction in Cambridge as observations show that development overall has slowed compared to other recent years. This can be influenced by market trends, available funding and private capital, and incentives from local, state, and federal resources.

Opportunities: Cambridge is one of the first cities in the United States to pass an embodied carbon reporting policy. Industry experts, developers, and other municipal, state, and utility officials often cite the need for regional collaboration and coordination for reporting requirements and standards. Cambridge is already a leader in this space; however, the City should continue to engage with other local municipalities and the State for coordinating additional embodied carbon policies or making amendments to existing policies.

Next Steps: The city will continue to make progress on on-going construction and renovation projects, as well as start other planned projects. Currently planned projects include 105 Windsor St, which will start with a public engagement process, and the Moses Youth Center, which will replace its HVAC systems. 

Challenges: While each project has its own individual challenges, some exist outside the direct control of the city. For example, the electrical grid will be constrained as more building systems are converted to all electric. Operational changes can help alleviate some electric demand; however, these challenges may not be easily accommodated.

There are also very long lead times for electrical infrastructure equipment have very long lead times from order to installation, some such as transformers, sometimes up to 18 months. Additionally, construction in the City of Cambridge is expensive and the city needs to ensure that the budget is balanced. Projects may end up being delayed, put on hold, or abandoned due to costs. Due to the complexity of HVAC electrification projects and related infrastructural improvements, project duration can be lengthy.

Opportunities: Cambridge will continue to be a leader in reducing greenhouse gas emissions from its operations. New Construction, building renovations and retrofits demonstrate leadership and the generation of electricity on site through solar and procurement of 100% renewable energy strongly advance our goals.

Next Steps: The city will release a request for quotes to procure services from a consultant for design of a geothermal feasibility study. This study will provide the city with a pathway for the implementation of a pilot planning program.

Challenges: Data for this action is primarily informed by the mechanical permit database. Permit data can be cumbersome to analyze and often contains gaps, missing or incomplete data, and is usually in some state of flux as permitted work can span fiscal years. Staff work continuously with other city departments, program administrators, and the contractor and developer community to improve and educate about permitting processes.

Opportunities: Over the coming year, the geothermal demonstration study will provide insight and highlight opportunities for a connected geothermal project in Cambridge. This could lay the groundwork for establishing more geothermal systems throughout the city that would provide more efficient, low-carbon heating and cooling.

Next Steps: Outreach will continue across the city to educate residents about the program, such as its typically lower prices and higher renewable energy content compared to Eversource and other competitive suppliers. Aggregation will continue to add more renewable electricity through virtual power purchase agreements with the goal to reach 100% renewable as its standard offer. 

Challenges: Continuously growing enrollment remains a challenge. Since the inception of the aggregation the total number of enrolled accounts has remained relatively stable, meaning that overall enrollment numbers haven’t grown much. There are several factors for this such as the transient nature of Cambridge residents, but more importantly third-party competitive suppliers that compete with the aggregation. Competitive suppliers often target the most vulnerable populations by offering lower costs immediately after enrollment, then increasing prices sustainably shortly thereafter. Regulating these competitive suppliers would need to be coordinated by the State.

Opportunities: At the state-level there are big opportunities for aggregation programs, community solar programs, and how utility billing is done. The Department of Public Utilities (DPU) is examining whether or not community solar may be included in aggregation programs. Moving to a system of single billing would have a significant impact on the ease of implementation and education around the benefits of community solar.