Holyoke, Massachusetts

8 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 10 HOLYOKE , MASSACHUSETTS there’s been some social strife, but we say, if Guinness came into town and wanted to set up a brewery and a distribution shop, no one would blink an eye. And we would welcome them to the city with open arms.” Holyoke Gas and Electric (HG&E), a municipally run gas and electric utility is another attraction for businesses looking to move to the area, and a benefit to the community overall. “They are very progressive, over 80% of our current energy portfolio is carbon neutral,” asserts Vega. With solar incentives and other purchasing agreements, Vega says that HG&E is a great partner for the city, and for companies in the energy sector. He explains, “We have a lot of energy testing types of companies that are figuring out innovative ways to create carbon free energy. Creating incentives and keeping those rates low for companies is one of the big reasons that would draw industries like cannabis here, as they use a lot of energy.” HG&E has also installed fibre throughout the city, providing