Friday, September 2, 2011
Reaching a Milestone Towards Energy Independence
Massachusetts reached an important milestone this month when the state completed the weatherization of the home of Gloucester resident Stephanie East. Stephanie’s is the 10,000th home to benefit from a federally-funded energy-saving program administered by the Commonwealth, which promises average savings of 35 percent – or $700 per home per year – on fuel oil costs.
I recently had an opportunity to attend the official celebration marking this historic occasion, and it struck me how this one project represents a single important step that will contribute with many others to the achievable goal of significantly increasing the energy independence of our state and our nation.
It’s important for all residents of the Commonwealth to find ways to conserve and use energy more efficiently, even if it’s done in incremental steps. The weatherization of the East family’s home may seem small in the grand scheme of things, but when you add up what’s taking place in communities across the state, it’s possible to see that we all have a role to play and, collectively, we can make a big difference.
As Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu once said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
