August 29, 2024

As the school year is about to kick off, this month, we are highlighting MAPC's work on the federally-funded Good Jobs Metro Boston Coalition (Good Jobs). Good Jobs is a cross-sector initiative to connect highly trained students in the Greater Boston area with high-quality technical clean energy jobs. Read on to learn more about opportunities for interested companies to host interns and engage with students through lunch and learns throughout the fall.

This newsletter also features our new blog post about the first phase of the Greater Boston Climate Action Plan, an update on the Mass Save three-year planning process and other state news, as well as funding for forest conservation and projects to improve public health outcomes in New England communities.

Opportunities for Employers to Meet Clean Energy Students!

MAPC is working with Greater Boston clean energy training programs to help connect students with high-quality jobs and internships. There are several time-sensitive opportunities to engage with and hire students training in HVAC, Weatherization, Practical Electricity, IT, and other technical fields! 

• Employer Lunch and Learn Opportunity: Franklin Cummings Tech invites employers to host a lunch and learn this fall. Reach out to Fiona Pierce at fpierce@franklincummmings.edu to sign up to visit campus on a Wednesday from 12-1 pm. This offers an opportunity to share information about your company, organization, or municipality and to meet students.
• Funding to Host Student Interns: The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) will reimburse employers up to $8,000 for internships of varying lengths during the period September 1, 2024-August 31, 2025. The first step for employers is to create an account in the Mass CEC portal. If you are interested in learning more, we can send over the step-by-step instructions for creating an employer profile on the MassCEC website.

Please reach out to ezehner@mapc.org if you have any questions about the initiative, would like to get involved, or you work with a company that is looking to hire. Interested companies, municipalities, and organizations can fill out our interest form to learn more.

Accelerating Climate Resilience Upcoming Events

MAPC's Accelerating Climate Resilience 2024 Speaker Series is hosting two webinars in the next month.

Thursday, August 29, 12-1 pm: “Let’s Talk About It: The Role of Communications in Climate Work." This session will explore the ways we talk, share, and receive information about climate change and how people interpret and react to information in different ways. We will also discuss how reaching people with information leads to activism, progress, and more engagement. Learn from two experts about the art of climate communications. Register.

Thursday, September 17, 1-2 pm: “Shade is Social Justice: How the City of Cambridge Tackles Heat Mitigation.” This session will explore ways that art, culture, and climate can work together to advance social justice. Learn more about the process; from procurement to community engagement to the 'why' for each artist involved. Learn from the artists and designers of these art installations! Register.

Marblehead Navigates Historic Preservation and Climate Goals

Logan Casey, Sustainability Coordinator for Marblehead; Thatcher Kezer, Town Manager for Marblehead; Patti Kelleher, Preservation Planner for Salem; Stacy Kilb, Sustainability Coordinator for Salem; Larry Sprang, Chair of Salem's Historic Commission; and Milo Martinez and Kelly Tyler-Lewis, members of the Salem Historic Commission, organized and led the tour.

MAPC's Arts and Culture and Clean Energy Departments are working with the Town of Marblehead to identify solutions for incorporating clean energy technologies into existing historic buildings. Clean energy installations that will be essential to reaching Marblehead's goal of net zero by 2040, such as rooftop solar panels, can conflict with current municipal requirements for maintaining the character of a building. Through a $25,000 DLTA grant, MAPC will conduct research and technical analysis and offer specific recommendations on how clean energy and historic preservation can coexist.

As part of the project, MAPC recently collaborated on a walking tour of Marblehead and Salem, which offered insights into the architectural and historical features of the Historical Districts and showcased some of the challenges and successes of retrofitting historic buildings. Read more about this ongoing work.

Updates on the Mass Save Three-Year Planning Process

On September 25, the Mass Save Program Administrators (PAs) will share the final version of their 2025-2027 Three-Year Energy Efficiency and Decarbonization Plan before it is submitted to the Department of Public Utilities (DPU) at the end of October. The DPU will then conduct a discovery and adjudicatory process before submitting their final order on energy efficiency programs and incentives in February. The Three-Year Plan outlines how spending for the Mass Save program will be allocated between residential, commercial, income-eligible, and other sectors. Since the PAs submitted their first draft in April, the Energy Efficiency Advisory Council, members of the public, MAPC and many others have provided recommendations. The PAs recently shared their plans to incorporate this feedback. Here are a few key updates related to equity and municipal support:

• Increased spending from $919 million (April draft) to $1.3 billion for low- and moderate-income (LMI) incentives
• Increased proposed LMI heat pump installations from 15,853 (April draft) to 22,200 households
• Reduced the HEAT Loan Budget for residential customers installing new home heating systems from almost $400 million (April draft) to $190 million and adopted three tiers of means testing. All tiers can get a 0% loan but the period for the loan pay back varies from 3 to 7 years.
• Added a competitive grant to create municipal energy manager roles focused on schools and other municipal decarbonization (where a full-time role does not yet exist).

MAPC will continue to provide updates on the process in the Climate Newsletter. Learn more about how the PAs plan to address comments on the April draft.

Affordable Homes Act Includes Key Funding for Resilient and Sustainable Affordable Housing

In early August, Governor Maura Healey signed the Affordable Homes Act into law. The legislation authorizes $5.16 billion over the next five years to address rising housing costs and includes funding dedicated to sustainable and green housing initiatives including:

• $2 billion for capital improvements to the state's 43,000 state-aided public housing units, including $150 million for decarbonization.
• $275 million in new capital authorization for sustainable and green housing initiatives (e.g. transit-oriented housing, sustainable and climate resilient affordable multifamily housing).  

State Awards Grants for Shared Streets Infrastructure

In August, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation awarded $6.5 million to 28 municipalities and two Regional Transit Agencies to support shared streets and spaces infrastructure, such as ADA-compliant bus stops, flexible bike lanes, and more. Within MAPC's region, Arlington, Everett, Malden, Newton, and Watertown received funding to support operational and capital costs for the Bluebikes bikeshare program and Acton received funding to start a regional bikeshare program with several adaptive bikes connecting Acton, Concord, Lincoln, and Maynard. Other communities in the region received funding for curb ramps, crossing islands, water bottle filling stations, and other measures to encourage low GHG emission travel.

Source: Wikimedia Commons. Ruggles Bluebikes station 03.jpg

Showcase on State's Battery-Powered Landscaping Equipment Contract

On Wednesday, September 25, the state's Operational Services Division (OSD), is hosting a "Show and Mow" demonstration that will feature Statewide Contract FAC116 Battery-Powered Landscaping Equipment. From 10-11 am, OSD will provide an overview of relevant grants and rebates, state contracts, and user experiences, followed by an opportunity for attendees to test equipment and engage with FAC116 vendors. Register.

Opportunity to Join Municipal Community Heating Electrification Cohort

Thinking of launching an Electrification Campaign or Program in your city or town? Or perhaps you have already launched one? Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP) is convening a cohort of Massachusetts cities and towns at various stages of developing municipal electrification initiatives. Through monthly meetings from September to December 2024, with the potential to extend into 2025, the cohort will share learnings and develop a Toolkit for Community Heating Electrification Campaigns. Fill out a short survey or reach out to NEEP Senior Associate Andy Winslow to express interest in joining (please note that showing interest does not guarantee participation in the cohort). The first session will likely be held in September and cover topics such as: administrative roles and responsibilities, template webpages, guidance on operating a coaching network, funding opportunities, engaging low-and-moderate income residents, exploring CRM options, and more. Applications are due Friday, September 6, with selected communities to be announced Tuesday, September 10.

Forum to Focus on Community Engagement for Climate Resilience

On Wednesday, September 25 from 9:30 am-12:30 pm, the Environmental Business Council of New England will host its next Climate Adaptation Forum, "Community Engagement for Climate Resilience: What it is and how do you do it well?" The event will feature Vicente S. Harrison from the City of Portland, Oregon Parks and Recreation Department; Melissa Liu, Participatory Budgeting and Engagement Coordinator for the City of Cambridge; and Fidel Maltez, City Manager for City of Chelsea. Speakers will discuss how meaningfully partnering with community members can strengthen project outcomes and build long-term relationships between local governments and environmental justice communities most impacted by climate challenges.

2024 Climate Beacon Conference

From Wednesday, October 16 to Friday, October 18, the Climate Beacon Project will host the cross-sector 2024 Climate Beacon Conference. Conference sessions will focus on a wide range of climate solutions in the region, from grid modernization to transportation electrification to healthy and resilient communities. Municipal, institutional, corporate, and community leaders are invited to attend. The event will include several dedicated sessions for municipal representatives, including a conversation with Boston Mayor Michelle Wu.

Massachusetts Clean Energy Center EmPower Innovation and Capacity Building Grants and Implementation Grants

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) recently launched its Request for Proposals for both the EmPower Innovation Capacity Building Grants and EmPower Implementation Grants. For both grants, MassCEC is prioritizing proposals that 1) leverage existing incentive programs (e.g. Mass Save) 2) serve renters through investments in landlord outreach and anti-displacement measures 3) test innovative finance or partnership models (e.g. on-bill financing, green leasing) 4) provide public health and air quality cobenefits and 5) improve language access for clean energy resources.

• Innovation and Capacity Building Grant ($5,000-$25,000): These grants are meant to provide "seed funding" for organizations, local governments, individuals, or a partnership to research potential program models or projects and/or to build organizational capacity to support potential program models or projects. Applications are due on a rolling basis through April 3, 2025. Learn more.
• Implementation Grant (Up to $150,000): These grants are intended to fund implementation-ready place-based or network-based projects that result in improved access to clean energy benefits and reduced energy burdens for defined priority groups. Community-based organizations, individuals, local governments, and other groups with a history of working with priority groups are eligible to apply. MassCEC is accepting applications during two rounds (Round 1: Due October 17, 2024 and Round 2: Due April 3, 2025). Learn more.

Funding for Forest Conservation and Expansion

Source: Wikimedia Commons D.A.R. State Forest.jpg

As part of the state's Forests as Climate Solutions Initiative, municipalities, qualified 501(c)(3) organizations formed for land conservation purposes, and other organizations (e.g. land banks) are eligible to apply for funding to support forest conservation and expand forest reserves throughout the state. Applicants are eligible to receive 50% of project cost up to $2 million. Applications are due Friday, September 27, at 3 pm. Learn more and apply.

Healthy Communities Grants Program

The Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) New England’s Healthy Communities Program will award 15 grants of up to $40,000 for local governments, nonprofits, grassroots organizations, or CBOs to work “directly with communities to reduce environmental risks to protect and improve human health and the quality of life, advance resilience, and preserve or restore important ecosystems.” Projects should be focused on one of the program’s Target Investment Areas: 

• Areas near ports that are being redeveloped to support offshore wind;
• Areas in Southern New England overburdened and underserved with cumulative environmental and/or public health impacts (EPA provides several examples: Chelsea, MA; New Bedford, MA); 
• Environmental Justice Areas of Potential Concern (communities, neighborhoods, geographic areas or Tribes in New England that potentially have been disproportionately affected by environmental and/or public health burdens in a defined geographic area); and 
• Sensitive populations (populations including infants, children and/or others at increased risk that are more susceptible to the effects of pollution and/or places where sensitive populations are located or spend significant time, such as homes or day cares).

Projects should result in environmental or public health benefits, ranging from capacity building on environmental and/or public health issues; clean, green and healthy schools; energy efficiency; healthy indoor environments; healthy outdoor environments’ pollution prevention; and sustainable materials management. Applications are due Friday, November 1, 2024. Learn more.