• Vision
• Goals & Objectives

The coming decades will bring great changes to the way the nation uses natural resources. Nowhere will these changes be greater than in the field of energy, where rising prices could become a drag on economic growth if the region is not prepared. MetroFuture charts a course through these changes by applying regional innovation to conserve finite natural resources.  More communities and individuals would evaluate their actions through the lens of climate change. The region would develop and apply new tools and technologies, strengthening the economy while contributing to a global effort. By using less energy and sourcing more of it from renewable resources, the region will be a national leader in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The reduction of energy demand will result from changes across the spectrum. People will find smaller, efficient homes, and ways to use their car less. More stable municipal finance will allow cities and towns to make long-term commitments to renewable energy investments. As a result, the region will use progressively less energy for electricity, heating, cooling, and transportation. Residents and businesses will spend less on energy and will be able to better withstand price increases.  The region will need to build fewer power plants and transmission lines, because conservation will help accommodate new demand.

Energy goes into all the products we use. The region will find ways to reduce the amount of “embedded energy” in products, packaging, and construction materials. The region will produce less solid waste, and more of that waste will be recycled or composted. While using recycled content in products still requires energy, it is far less than virgin materials.

As the cost of carbon-producing fossil fuels increases, cleaner energy sources that are more expensive now will become more cost competitive. With university research driving economic development, the region will be a hotbed of new technologies. Metro Boston will act as both consumer and producer: by purchasing more energy from renewable sources, it increases demand for new technologies that the region is uniquely positioned to produce.  The region will produce more renewable energy and will obtain more of its energy from renewable sources. Small renewable energy installations will be common on many types of properties. Compact growth patterns create economies of scale for the creation of geothermal energy, distributed generation, and other renewable or efficient technologies. Focused growth will help to reduce encroachment of residential development on potential wind energy locations. Small-scale wind energy will be a good revenue source for many farmers and other owners of undeveloped land. Cities and towns will have the resources to make long-term commitments to renewable energy investments.

A reduction in energy demand (especially for transportation demand) and a shift away from conventional fossil fuels sources will result in lower emissions of pollutants other than carbon dioxide. Developers will use healthier building materials alongside the energy efficient technologies.  The region will have better air quality, both indoors and out. People will live and work in healthier buildings and will have lower rates of illness. Fewer children will have asthma, and fewer residents will die of lung  diseases. 

The region’s water comes from a diverse system of public and private supplies all over the region; the aquifers and watersheds they draw from have only a limited supply. The region can increase sustainability by reducing demand or moving to alternative sources; but it will also protect supplies by reducing  pollution and keeping water local.  Water resources will be carefully budgeted and sustainably managed so that clean water is available for appropriate uses and development. Alteration of local hydrology by water withdrawals will be slowed or reversed.

Conservation will provide an increment of supply to serve new growth, at lower cost and with less environmental impact than increasing withdrawals.  It will also help to ensure that  The region’s rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds will have sufficient clean water to support healthy aquatic life and recreational uses. Excess stormwater runoff and other pollution will be minimized throughout the region, especially in water supply areas. The region would make more use of lower-impact site designs, green roofs, and innovative stormwater management to help maintain natural hydrology. The emphasis on redevelopment would create more opportunities to retrofit developed sites for better stormwater management.  The ecological condition of wetlands will improve, and fewer wetlands will be lost to development. The region’s sensitive habitats would be protected from development, and the region will invest in restoration of impacted ecosystems. As a result, The region will retain its biodiversity and will have healthy populations of native plants and animals, and fewer invasive species. Compact growth and more coordinated land acquisition would ensure that the region’s important open spaces are not lost, and will be joined in a network that stretches across the region.  A robust network of protected open spaces, farms, parks, and greenways will provide wildlife habitat, ecological benefits, recreational opportunites, and scenic beauty.