MassCEC: Deadline Extended for Neighborhood Electrification RFI

Deadline extended until January 12, 2024

View this email in your browser Request for Information: Neighborhood Electrification The Neighborhood Electrification RFI submission deadline has been extended until January 12, 2024! MassCEC seeks stakeholder interest and input in potential neighborhood electrification demonstration projects. For purposes of this Request for Information, "neighborhood electrification" is the strategic electrification of the building stock and decommissioning of the natural gas system in defined geographic areas—such as street segments, neighborhoods, or zones—to leverage cost-effective opportunities for electrification  over reinvestment in the gas system (e.g., pipeline repair). Given the Department of Public Utilities' "Order on Regulatory Principles and Framework" in its 20-80 docket, we are extending the RFI submission deadline until January 12, 2024 and adding an additional question in the RFI to give respondents an opportunity to respond to the implications of the order on neighborhood electrification efforts. This RFI does not commit MassCEC to offer any program associated with neighborhood electrification, award any funds, pay any costs incurred in preparing a response, or procure or contract for services or supplies. MassCEC welcomes responses from all stakeholders. In particular, we are hoping to gather perspectives from utilities, municipalities, large landowners (e.g., universities or affordable housing owners), technical experts, legal/regulatory experts, community-based organizations, and advocacy organizations. Thank you for your time and insights! Learn More & Provide Input Our mailing address is: Massachusetts Clean Energy Center 294 Washington St. Suite 1150 Boston, MA 02108 USA

MassCEC Opens Third Year of Funding for the EmPower Massachusetts Program!

Learn more about funding opportunities + how to apply

We hope all is well! The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) is excited to announce the release of our THIRD year of funding opportunities under the EmPower Massachusetts program! The goal of the EmPower Massachusetts program is to increase access to the benefits of clean energy and/or reduce energy burden to previously underserved populations in Massachusetts. MassCEC is thrilled to be able to support another round of innovative projects that will help us equitably achieve the Commonwealth's climate goals. For this next year of EmPower, we will be offering two levels of funding similar to the first two years of the program, but with some changes to funding amounts and timeline. See below for more information: Innovation and Capacity Building Grants  Grant range: $5,000-$25,000 (some opportunities for up to $50,000) "Seed" funding for applicants to explore innovative ideas for potential program models or projects and to build organizational capacity to support future program models or projects. Applicants are encouraged to apply with the intent of building toward an EmPower Implementation grant project. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis through April 3, 2024, with three priority deadlines: October 18, 2023, January 18, 2024, and April 3, 2024 (applications will be reviewed starting immediately after these dates). Implementation Grants Grant range: $50,000-$150,000  Funding to implement new program models/projects for increasing access to the benefits of clean energy. A limited number of grants for up to $300,000 will be awarded to projects that use Energy Coach/Ambassador or Technical Assistance Provider models; see section 5.2 of the Implementation Request for Proposals (RFP) on the EmPower website. Applications will be evaluated in two review periods, with deadlines of October 18, 2023 and April 3, 2024. We encourage you to share this opportunity with any organizations, individuals, etc. in your community who you think would be good candidates for the program. To find all information including request for proposals/application documents, please visit the Funding section of our website, which includes funding descriptions, schedules, eligibility, and how to apply!   View both funding opportunities here! To learn more or prepare to apply, join us for office hours & watch our program overview: Office hours We will be hosting our first office hours session on Friday, August 18th from 10:30-11:30 am; you can find the Zoom registration link here. More office hours will be held in the weeks following - keep an eye on the EmPower website for more sessions.  Overview video We will be posting a video overview of this round of the program to the EmPower page in the coming weeks. In the meantime, feel free to watch our video overview for last year's round of the program here! Other Ways to Stay Engaged! Sign up for the Slack channel here. This is a great space for networking and collaboration between organizations. We will also be posting programmatic updates on this channel. Reach out to us directly via email at empower@masscec.com, so we can set up a time to talk and answer any questions you may have.  Read up on the EmPower blog posts, with new posts regularly! Check our website regularly for updates! All inquiries may be submitted via email to empower@masscec.com. Copyright © 2023 Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in at our website. Our mailing address is: Massachusetts Clean Energy Center 294 Washington St. Suite 1150 Boston, MA 02108

Boston Globe: "Massachusetts is building a green economy, but does it have the workers to do so?"

"It’s going to take 38,100 workers to help Massachusetts transition to a clean energy state.

That’s according to a report published Wednesday by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), a quasi-public agency that supports the state’s green energy industry. The paper forecasts thousands of new jobs by 2030 in order to meet the state’s decarbonization goals. And as of now, we’re not ready to fill them.

The report classifies a worker as a “clean energy worker” if they are working in renewable energy, energy efficiency, alternative transportation, or other decarbonization efforts. These jobs include electricians who install electric panels, insulation workers who help maximize the efficiency of heating and cooling systems, or construction workers who help install electric vehicle charging stations.

According to the center’s analysis, Massachusetts needs its clean energy workforce to expand by 37 percent from its current size of 104,000. However, the report also reflects the current challenges of filling those positions today. For example, 88 percent of companies that responded to MassCEC surveys said they have difficulty hiring workers for clean energy jobs."

Continue reading the article online (subscription maybe required)

https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/07/19/business/massachusetts-is-building-green-economy-does-it-have-workers-do-so/

A new report highlights the need for more electricians and other workers skilled in clean energy-related trades to fill an expected 38,000 jobs in Massachusetts by 2030.DAVID L. RYAN/GLOBE STAFF

Get your own copy of the MassCEC report here ->    https://www.masscec.com/sites/default/files/documents/Powering%20the%20Future_A%20Massachusetts%20Clean%20Energy%20Workforce%20Needs%20Assessment_Final.pdf

MassCEC Seeks Participants for Decarbonization Pathways Pilot

Apply by July 30th!

Hello,   The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) is seeking around 45 homes to participate in the second cohort of the Decarbonization Pathways Pilot. The pilot offers technical support and financial incentives to implement high-efficiency decarbonization measures. This is a great opportunity to get the technical support and financial assistance to bring your home into the 21st century!   MassCEC is accepting applications between July 12, 2023 and July 30, 2023.  MassCEC is specifically looking for participants who intend to install heat pumps and/or replace their home's siding to create a better insulated envelope within the coming year. We will also be asking all participants to complete a "Home Modernization Package" that ensures the home is well-prepared to convert away from fossil fuel appliances as they make future purchases (e.g., the next time the heat or hot water heater needs to be replaced). We will also be looking for geographic, income, and building type diversity within the cohort. To learn more about applying for the second cohort, read our blog or review the application.  Please consider applying and sharing this opportunity with your network. If you have any questions, please contact us at buildings@masscec.com.   Learn More & Apply If you are interested in an update on the progress of the first cohort of the Decarbonization Pathways Pilot, please check out our update blog.  Facebook Twitter YouTube LinkedIn Instagram Our mailing address is: Massachusetts Clean Energy Center 294 Washington St. Suite 1150 Boston, MA 02108 Add us to your address book

MassCEC Seeking Applicants for Triple Decker Retrofit Pilot

I don't know how many triple deckers we have in Franklin. I believe the current building code is such that we couldn't build one. That I think is an issue. This type of housing could be a worthy addition to our housing stock in Franklin.

 

Apply by Dec. 21st!

View this email in your browser The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) is now accepting applications for the market rate track of the Triple Decker Retrofit Pilot. This pilot builds on the lessons learned from our Triple Decker Design Challenge and will offer selected triple decker owners: Technical support to implement a high-efficiency, all-electric retrofit Financial incentives: Up to $70,000 for a standard triple decker retrofit Up to $125,000 for triple deckers adding a new unit as part of the project Performance monitoring  This is a great opportunity to get the technical support and financial assistance to bring your triple decker into the 21st century! Please share this opportunity with your network! If you might be interested, please reach out with any and all questions to buildings@masscec.com.   Learn More & Apply Copyright © 2022 Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Massachusetts Clean Energy Center 294 Washington St. Suite 1150 Boston, MA 02108

*** Last call to apply: MassCEC is seeking home decarbonization pilot participants

Apply by July 31st!

View this message in your browser   As a reminder, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) is currently seeking around 30 homes to participate in the first cohort of the Decarbonization Pathways Pilot. This new pilot will offer technical support, generous financial incentives, and performance monitoring to implement high-efficiency decarbonization measures. This is a great opportunity to get the technical support and financial assistance to bring your home into the 21st century! Applications will be accepted until midnight this Sunday, July 31, 2022. Don't miss out on the application window! Please consider applying and share this opportunity with your network. If you have any questions, please contact us at buildings@masscec.com.    MassCEC is specifically looking for participants who intend to install whole-home heat pump systems within the coming year and are interested in completely eliminating fossil fuels from their homes during the pilot. We will also be looking for geographic, income, and building type diversity within the cohort.  Apply Click here to learn more about the pilot background, applicant eligibility, incentive levels, and the application process.

Massachusetts Clean Energy Center · 294 Washington St. · Suite 1150 · Boston, MA 02108 · USA