Westwood MA
11-02-2026 12:45am

Westwood In a Minute: Town of Westwood Receives Mass Save Impact Award at Massachusetts State House

Photo courtesy of Mass Save. Accepting the Mass Save Impact Award for the Town of Westwood are (L to R): Marianne LeBlanc Cummings, Jamie Philbin, JoAnna French, Matt Eckerle, and Mark Rooney.

The Town of Westwood was honored as a 2026 Mass Save Impact Award recipient on Tuesday, October 27, during a ceremony at the Massachusetts State House, for demonstrating a deep commitment to energy efficiency and ongoing sustainability efforts. 

A group of Westwood leaders and officials received the commemorative plaque on behalf of the town: Marianne LeBlanc Cummings, Westwood Select Board chair; JoAnna French, School Committee chair; Matt Eckerle, Westwood Environmental Action Committee chair; Mark Rooney, Eversource government sector account executive; and Jamie Philbin, standing in for his father, Westwood Energy Manager Thomas Philbin.

Westwood was one of 17 communities and organizations in the state that were recognized this year. 

According to Mass Save, the projects recognized through this year's awards are expected to deliver net lifetime CO₂ emissions reductions equivalent to the annual energy use of nearly 30,000 homes or more than 50,000 gasoline-powered passenger vehicles driven for one year.

    With Mr. Philbin at the helm of Westwood's energy efficiency and sustainability efforts, the town has expanded its solar capacity with a 670 kW DC canopy array over the parking lot for Westwood High School, that was completed at the end of the summer 2025. The town also installed a 600 kW rooftop array at Pine Hill elementary school, completed in mid-2024. Additionally, Westwood has implemented an electric vehicle charging program at municipal facilities.

    Formerly known as Mass Save Climate Leaders, the Mass Save Impact Award recognition celebrates recipients' accomplishments in energy efficiency and decarbonization solutions which may include strategic energy investments and impactful projects to benefit the environment, economy, and community.

    Along with the Town of Westwood, the following communities and organizations received recognition this year:

    • Agri-Mark
    • Bay State Linen
    • Big Y Foods, Inc.
    • Camp Jabberwocky
    • Christian Union Church of North Truro, Inc.
    • City of Cambridge
    • City of Fall River
    • City of Quincy
    • City of Springfield
    • Gordon College
    • Lowell General Hospital
    • MASS MoCA
    • Peter Condakes Company
    • Town of Athol
    • Town of Townsend
    • University of Massachusetts Amherst

    You may also be interested in:

    - Beginning This Fall, 80 Percent of Town of Westwood's Energy Will Be from Renewable Energy (published July 2025)

    - Pine Hill Elementary School "Goes Gold" with LEED Certification (published March 2025)

    - New Home Heating Benefit for Middle-Class Households, Increased Benefits for Low-Income Families

    - Westwood Named Recipient of 2026 Mass Save Impact Award

    - Westwood Moves to Expand Solar Generated Electricity (published February 2024)

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