GREENFIELD, MA (FRANKLIN COUNTY NOW) – From there City of Greenfield:

Carole Collins Returns as Energy and Sustainability Director

GREENFIELD – Carole Collins, the City of Greenfield’s first and only director of energy and sustainability, is returning to her position, effective Monday, April 8. Collins previously served as the director of Northampton’s Climate Action and Project Administration Department.

“I am thrilled to announce the return of Carole Collins,” said Mayor Virginia “Ginny” Desorgher. “Carole is invaluable to the growth of Greenfield, and I look forward to seeing how her insights and advocacy will continue to help the city align with state and national sustainability benchmarks.”
 
“I am proud of the climate progress that Greenfield is making and look forward to continuing to work with the city to make lasting change for the future,” stated Carole Collins. “Northampton and Greenfield are both great cities with great leadership. The climate crisis requires all of us working together to make a difference and I look forward to what we can achieve.”
 
Collins was initially hired by the City of Greenfield in 2010 and in 2014, was selected to lead what was the only Energy and Sustainability Department in Western Massachusetts. She worked for the city for 13 years and achieved numerous advancements for the city’s long-term sustainability. The list includes: 
 

·       In 2021, Greenfield was one of 11 municipalities to receive the Leading by Example Award from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources.

·       Helping to ensure that municipal buildings, such as the Greenfield Public Library, the DPW Office Building, and the newly constructed Greenfield Fire Station, achieve net-zero-ready standards. 

·       Overseeing Greenfield Light & Power, an innovative municipal aggregation program supplying 100% renewable electricity to Greenfield utility customers at a competitive price while also supporting the local economy.

·       Transitioning municipal buildings to clean energy HVAC. The city’s last municipal building to rely on oil, the DPW Wastewater Treatment Plant, will soon rely on energy from a high-efficiency water source heat pump system.

·       Under Carole’s leadership, municipal energy consumption has decreased by over 28 percent since 2008.

 

Collins earned a bachelor’s degree in ecological building design from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a master’s degree in resource management and administration focused on sustainable development from Antioch University New England.