LENOX, Mass. — Lee Scott Laugenour is calling for new debate, legislation and policies to encourage energy conservation, noting the scientific consensus that carbon and methane emissions related to energy use are feeding and accelerating harmful climate change.
Laugenour is the Green-Rainbow Party candidate for state representative in the 4th Berkshire District.
"I have long believed that conservation is an alternative energy that should be encouraged through incentives just like wind, solar and hydro," Laugenour said.
Laugenour and his husband, Mark Woodward, released their household's annual energy consumption, using the most recent readings available. Their consumption is well below available averages for similar households. They reside in a 1,724 square-foot, two-story colonial home in Lenox built in 1900. They share a 2007 Prius, which averages 46 miles per gallon. They have had two MassSave energy audits in the last three years.
Annual consumption of the Laugenour/Woodward household:
Electricity 2656 kw/h
Natural Gas 52 therms
Heating Oil 380 gallons
Water 31,000 gallons
Gasoline 252 gallons
"National Grid does a good job of creating energy reports that compare a household's usage against 100 similar households. Our household consistently is placed in the bottom 20th percentile of homes, meaning Mark and I consume less than 80 percent of similar households," said Laugenour. "I would like to work with other private and public utility enterprises to craft similar reports to help measure and benchmark conservation initiatives."
The Lenox Environment Committee, on which Laugenour served, began discussions last year on ways that the town could offer conservation incentives via the property tax. Energy committees in other communities in the 4th Berkshire District have had similar conversations.
"I will take the lead in promoting legislation on Beacon Hill that empowers municipalities to use local tax mechanisms in order to be more innovative in measurably decreasing climate-warming emissions," Laugenour said. "I envision a system that would reward year over year reductions as much if not more than it would reward actual levels of low consumption. I look forward to working with municipalities and members of the public to help them make meaningful progress in conservation."
Laugenour is in a two-way race against incumbent Democrat William "Smitty' Pignatelli, which will be decided Nov. 6.
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