It was a happy coincidence. As officials in Pittsfield, Mass., were working on an ambitious energy efficiency plan for the wastewater treatment plant, the federal government came up with a plan to distribute about $830 billion to stimulate the economy. The plant tapped into some of that money for an upgrade that will reduce the use of purchased energy by at least 90 percent.Wastewater treatment has a history of being “off the grid” in Pittsfield since the original plant was built in 1902. With no natural gas service, the plant generated its own power through a combination of No. 2
