BARNSTABLE – A proposal that supporters said would help Cape Cod residents prepare for future power outages is being discussed by Barnstable County officials.
The measure, titled the “Power Outage Resiliency Fund,” was discussed Monday during a hearing before the Barnstable County Assembly’s Telecommunications and Energy Committee.
Supporters said the plan would help residents afford generators and battery backup systems after more than 153,000 Cape Cod residents lost electricity for days during the February storm.
According to a statement from the county, the proposed ordinance would establish a revolving loan fund offering low-interest loans to county residents for generators, battery backup systems and the electrical retrofitting needed to install them.
Under the pilot program, Barnstable County would initially allocate $65,000 for loans capped at $5,000 per household. Residents would repay the loans over five years, with interest rates adjusted based on income levels to make the program more affordable for lower-income households.
The ordinance is being led by Falmouth delegate Dan Gessen.
Harwich delegate Elizabeth Harder said prolonged outages can be especially dangerous for elderly residents and families already struggling financially.
James Killion, who chairs the Telecommunications and Energy Committee, asked whether the county was responding to an unmet need or creating a new government program unnecessarily.
