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Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
The Department of Energy Resources is accepting applications for the Community Clean Energy Resiliency Initiative, a new grant program made available through the state’s $50 million investment in climate preparedness initiatives.
The initiative will help to ensure energy resiliency at critical facilities that support life safety, lifelines and community resources using clean energy technologies, according to the Department of Energy Resources.
“We have already seen firsthand in Massachusetts how devastating a loss of energy can be to a community during times of natural disaster, and predictions are that the impacts of climate change will only make these events more severe going forward,” said Gov. Deval Patrick in a statement. “This initiative will provide communities across the Commonwealth the opportunity to identify their most critical assets now and utilize clean energy technology to keep their residents safer in the future.”
Through the grant program, $40 million in state funding will be made available to cities and towns that identify facilities where loss of electrical service would result in disruption of a critical public safety, life-sustaining function, including emergency services, shelters, food and fuel supply, and communications infrastructure. Municipalities will be able to use clean energy technologies to keep their energy systems operable.
Cities and towns can apply for either technical assistance or direct project implementation funding to help protect their communities from interruptions in energy service due to severe climate events worsened by the effects of climate change. Communities that receive a technical assistance award can subsequently apply for project implementation funding.
“These grants will provide an opportunity for cities and towns to tap the technology and expertise of the Commonwealth’s clean energy industry to protect residents and businesses from the effects of climate change,” said DOER Commissioner Mark Sylvia.
The grants will be funded through Alternative Compliance Payments, which are paid by electrical retail suppliers if they have insufficient Renewable or Alternative Energy Certificates to meet their compliance obligations under the Renewable and Alternative Portfolio Standard programs.
Projects eligible for funding include clean energy generation, energy storage, energy management systems, islanding technologies, and microgrids.
The Round 1 deadline is July 15, with an announcement of awards scheduled for Aug. 15.
The governor announced the state’s coordinated plan for climate preparedness to increase resiliency in January. In addition to the energy resiliency initiative, the plan includes funding for critical coastal infrastructure and dam repair, including two new municipal grants offered by the Office of Coastal Zone Management.
Click here for information on how to apply for Community Clean Energy Resiliency Initiative grants.