- Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources
- Green Communities Division
Media Contact
Lauren Diggin, External Affairs Manager
Boston — The Healey-Driscoll Administration today announced more than $7.2 million to cities and towns across Massachusetts to fund clean energy projects. The Department of Energy Resources (DOER) selected 42 municipalities to receive Green Communities competitive grants. With today’s announcement, DOER will have awarded more than $191 million to Green Communities in Designation Grants and Competitive Grants since 2010.
“We are happy to help our cities and towns move forward with initiatives that create healthier communities and boost local economies,” said Governor Maura Healey. “These projects will ultimately save people, businesses and municipalities money and will help Massachusetts achieve energy independence.”
“These projects reflect the hard work and dedication of our local officials to make Massachusetts a healthier, more affordable place for families and businesses,” said Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll. “We are committed to partnering with our local leaders to support efforts that save cities and towns money and strengthen communities.”
The cities and towns will use the funding for a variety of projects aimed at reducing energy use in their municipal operations. These projects include installing high-efficiency lighting, building weatherization, upgrading energy management systems, facility retro-commissioning, and transitioning HVAC systems away from fossil fuels by installing air- or ground-source heat pumps.
Seventeen of the communities’ awards are for fuel-switching projects – replacing fossil fuel-fired HVAC or water heating systems with heat pumps. Once installed, those projects will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 283 tons annually.
“Cities and towns are slashing their energy bills and leading the fight against climate change. We’re proud to invest in their leadership,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper. “Local clean energy projects will make us less reliant on expensive fossil fuels and help lower our overall energy demand, cutting costs for all ratepayers.”
“Massachusetts’ Green Communities continue to reduce energy use, emissions, and utility costs by deploying energy efficiency and renewable energy projects,” said DOER Commissioner Elizabeth Mahony. “From weatherization to control systems to heat pumps and solar panels and more, these 42 grant awards support the cities and towns themselves and provide cleaner air and lower costs for their residents and businesses.”
The following municipalities were selected to receive grant awards:
| Municipality | Total Grant Award | Municipality | Total Grant Award |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acushnet | $500,000 | Lunenburg | $225,000 |
| Andover | $69,754.24 | Natick | $99,702.67 |
| Arlington | $125,000 | Norfolk | $172,500 |
| Athol | $138,572.98 | Northampton | $494,613.12 |
| Becket | $139,500 | Northbridge | $125,000 |
| Boston | $189,000 | Oxford | $233,026 |
| Boxford | $225,000 | Pepperell | $144,463 |
| Chilmark | $177,740.50 | Provincetown | $192,127 |
| Clarksburg | $22,857 | Rockport | $225,000 |
| Douglas | $100,000 | Sharon | $151,546 |
| Duxbury | $170,151 | Shutesbury | $44,748 |
| East Bridgewater | $106,688.07 | Sturbridge | $220,684.32 |
| Edgartown | $217,674 | Sudbury | $30,000 |
| Fitchburg | $243,130 | Tewksbury | $125,000 |
| Grafton | $47,424 | Walpole | $225,000 |
| Harwich | $135,388 | Waltham | $152,275 |
| Lawrence | $173,166 | Warwick | $143,930 |
| Leicester | $17,500 | Watertown | $173,651.84 |
| Leominster | $237,669 | Wenham | $500,000 |
| Lexington | $52,000 | West Brookfield | $186,616.07 |
| Littleton | $173,894.90 | Westhampton | $90,326 |
The proposed projects will leverage more than $2.3 million in utility incentives and yield energy cost savings of $594,842. The 18,664 MMBtus expected in annual energy savings translates to the amount of energy consumed by 145 Massachusetts households. The projects are estimated to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 1,330 metric tons annually, roughly equivalent to taking over 246 cars off the road.
Under the Green Communities Act, cities and towns must meet five criteria to be designated a Green Community and receive funding. The grants provide financial support for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects that further the designated communities’ clean energy goals and are awarded to existing Green Communities that have successfully invested their initial designation grants and previous competitive grant awards. Funding for these grants is available through proceeds from carbon allowance auctions under the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). Competitive awards are capped at $250,000 per municipality or $500,000 if applying for comprehensive building decarbonization funding. Building decarbonization funding is for projects that are ready for immediate implementation but may extend beyond typical grant implementation times and costs.
Additional information on awarded projects and funding amounts can be found on DOER's website.
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Media Contact
Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources
