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State approves Valley Green Energy, Amherst leads community choice aggregation

AMHERST — The Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities’ approved the Valley Green Energy Community Choice Aggregation application, which will now lead to Amherst, Northampton and Pelham having collective buying power to purchase electricity more competitively and increase the amount of renewable energy in the electricity supply.

Belchertown, Ware partner in rain barrel discount program

BELCHERTOWN — Extreme weather and intense rain events have become more common in recent years. In August 2023, many New England communities experienced severe flooding when more than 6 inches of rain fell over a six-hour period. In an effort to mitigate future storm impacts, Belchertown and Ware have partnered with The Great American Rain Barrel Company to offer rain barrels to residents at discounted prices, helping homeowners collect the water, instead of letting it go down the drain.