By Max Woolf
Fighting climate change is essential, but how we do it matters. Watertown is considering new rules that would shift the costs of decarbonization onto property owners, businesses, and renters. The proposed ordinance, known as BERDO, would have Watertown join Boston, Lexington, Cambridge, and Newton by requiring owners of properties 20,000 square feet or larger to track and reduce fossil fuel use — or face fines. While specific requirements and timelines vary based on building size, under the proposal, all large commercial and residential property owners in Watertown will have to take a combination of the following steps to comply:
● Hire a consultant to measure and benchmark energy use● Report energy use annually to the city● Take steps to reduce emissions, such as replacing gas boilers with heat pumps, upgrading HVAC systems and adopting other efficiency measures, or pay fines● Periodically verify energy data through third-party consultants at the owner’s expense● Implement efficiency upgrades, like installing new insulation, optimizing building controls, or reducing overall energy consumption, or pay fines● Possibly install on-site solar panels or instead purchase costly electricity offsets (even after completing retrofits)
On top of that, Watertown’s BERDO rules are different from Boston’s, Cambridge’s, Newton’s, or Lexington’s, and that’s a problem in and of itself because anyone who owns or manages property in multiple communities must navigate a different set of complex rules and deadlines. Watertown’s proposed ordinance also goes further than Newton’s, Cambridge’s, or Lexington’s, raising concerns about the city’s future affordability and competitiveness, not just against these communities but also communities across the region that have not adopted BERDO rules.
