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

CommonWealth Magazine: "The dirty truth of Northfield Mountain’s ‘clean’ energy"

"ON FEBRUARY 11, CommonWealth published a commentary by FirstLight Power CEO Alicia Barton bragging of the Christmas Eve grid-rescuing heroics of her company’s Northfield Mountain Pumped Storage Station. She went on to describe Northfield as a “zero-emissions” power plant that helped save New England from a natural gas energy squeeze. There were holes in her contentions, and she failed to mention all the other elephants in the room.

Northfield Mountain, located on the Connecticut River in northwest Massachusetts, is actually a gas-powered plant. It’s a massive, net-power-loss electric machine, run off ISO-New England’s imported natural gas and nuclear-dominated energy grid. Its daily use halts, cripples, and reverses miles of the Connecticut River. Its turbines annually kill hundreds of millions of eggs, larvae, and juvenile and adult fish, and other assorted aquatic species in a four-state river system."

Continue reading the article in CommonWealth Magazine ->

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/opinion/the-dirty-truth-of-northfield-mountains-clean-energy/

 

CommonWealth Magazine: "The dirty truth of Northfield Mountain’s ‘clean’ energy"

From the clean heat report to decarbonization, Ted helps in this Making Sense of Climate episode #22 (audio)

FM #929 = This is the Franklin Matters radio show, number 929 in the series. 

This session of the radio show shares my conversation with Ted McIntyre, Franklin resident and climate activist via the Zoom conference bridge Tuesday, January 24, 2023.  

In this episode we covered the following topics: 

• End of year reports, status recap

• The MA roadmap

• Commission on Clean Heat issued report on Nov 30, 2022

• The Boston Foundation Climate Report Card

• story of three chairs

• Myths about appliances…  trust science! Or ?

This discussion continues our journey understanding the MA roadmap toward net zero and while it helps me “make sense of climate”, we hope it helps with your understanding as well. 

If you have climate questions or Franklin specific climate questions, send them in and we’ll try to answer them in a future session.  

The conversation runs about 38 minutes. Let’s listen to my conversation with Ted McIntyre as he helps me ‘make sense of climate’ Audio file -> https://franklin-ma-matters.captivate.fm/episode/fm-929-making-sense-of-climate-23-01-24-23

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Links to articles referenced:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1arTnyvQxTrOeV-Kdkxu7XldIWV3TLcqu/view?usp=share_link 

See the page that collects the “Making Sense of Climate” episodes -> https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/02/making-sense-of-climate-collection.html 

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We are now producing this in collaboration with Franklin.TV and Franklin Public Radio (wfpr.fm) or 102.9 on the Franklin area radio dial.  

This podcast is my public service effort for Franklin but we can't do it alone. We can always use your help.

How can you help?

• If you can use the information that you find here, please tell your friends and neighbors

• If you don't like something here, please let me know

Through this feedback loop we can continue to make improvements. I thank you for listening.

For additional information, please visit Franklinmatters.org/ or www.franklin.news/

If you have questions or comments you can reach me directly at shersteve @ gmail dot com

The music for the intro and exit was provided by Michael Clark and the group "East of Shirley". The piece is titled "Ernesto, manana"  c. Michael Clark & Tintype Tunes, 2008 and used with their permission.

I hope you enjoy!

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You can also subscribe and listen to Franklin Matters audio on iTunes or your favorite podcast app; search in "podcasts" for "Franklin Matters"

https://www.mass.gov/doc/massachusetts-commission-on-clean-heat-final-report-november-30-2022/download

CommonWealth Magazine: "Mass. shows interest in financing Maine wind project"

A 1,000 MEGAWATT onshore wind project planned for northern Maine and an associated transmission build-out “would provide benefits to Massachusetts and the region,” the Mass. Department of Energy Resources said as it determined that it makes sense to have Bay State ratepayers cover 40 percent of the project costs as part of a multi-state clean energy effort.

The Maine Public Utilities Commission selected the two projects — Longroad Energy’s King Pine 1,000 MW land-based wind generation project and LS Power Base’s 345 kilovolt (kV) transmission line project — in October to fulfill that state’s clean energy law requirements. The anticipated net cost of the two projects is $1.7 billion over 30 years, but the Maine PUC directed its staff “to look to other states to assess if there are partnerships that could reduce the costs to Maine.”

Continue reading the article online ->

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/energy/mass-shows-interest-in-financing-maine-wind-project/

CommonWealth Magazine: "Mass. shows interest in financing Maine wind project"

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

"The decision clears another hurdle"

"MASSACHUSETTS MADE some headway on its clean energy goals on Tuesday, but moving forward on key offshore wind and hydro-electricity projects remains an uncertain process.

A Massachusetts-financed transmission line carrying hydroelectricity from Quebec into Maine cleared another legal hurdle on Tuesday as the Maine Supreme Court overturned a lower court decision that had blocked the state from leasing 32.4 acres of public land for the line.

The Maine Supreme Court held that the Bureau of Parks and Lands acted within its authority in granting the lease to Avangrid and concluded the public land would not be “substantially altered” by the project."

Continue reading the article online at CommonWealth Magazine -> 

https://commonwealthmagazine.org/energy/maine-hydro-project-clears-another-hurdle/

This has been a recurring item on the "Making Sense of Climate" podcast series

https://www.franklinmatters.org/2022/02/making-sense-of-climate-collection.html

A photo of new work done on New England Clean Energy Connect after the referendum that shut down the project. All work was subsequently halted. (Photo taken November 12 by Edwin Buzzell)