May 18, 2026 Assembly of Delegates Standing Committee on Telecommunications and Energy

The Barnstable County Assembly of Delegates Standing Committee on Telecommunications and Energy held a virtual meeting on May 18, 2026, primarily discussing Ordinance 2026-14, which proposes establishing a Power Outage Resiliency Fund. This revolving loan fund aims to provide year-round Cape Cod residents with loans up to $5,000 at a flexible interest rate (capped at 1% above the prime rate) to finance the purchase and installation of backup generators or battery storage systems, including necessary electrical upgrades. The fund is designed to be self-sustaining, with loan repayments over a maximum of 10 years and penalties for overdue payments. Committee members debated the program's potential impact, cost-effectiveness, and administrative burden, with some expressing concerns about whether the loan amount would sufficiently incentivize residents to invest in resiliency infrastructure. The ordinance was supported as a pilot program to help vulnerable populations prepare for increasingly frequent power outages due to severe weather events. Additionally, the committee discussed scheduling future meetings focused on broadband infrastructure, with plans to invite representatives from Verizon, Open Cape, and the Cape Cod Commission to address ongoing issues and grant progress.