In late November, the Healey-Driscoll Administration announced $60 million in new grants for Climate Leader Communities. These funds aim to support cities and towns in decarbonization efforts, clean energy initiatives, and reducing municipal greenhouse gas emissions. The funding, available to certified communities through the Green Communities Program, will enhance resilience against climate change and provide cleaner air and lower costs for residents and businesses.

Grant funding is available to Climate Leader Communities under two new grant programs:

1. Decarbonization Accelerator Grant Program ($52.5 million funding) will support clean energy initiatives that reduce or eliminate fossil fuel combustion, energy use, and costs, including technologies such as renewable thermal, solar PV, clean energy resources that support energy resilience, and energy storage. Projects must align with the community’s Climate Leader Municipal Decarbonization to be eligible. Additional funding will be available for projects that are sited in Environmental Justice Communities or Low- Income and Disadvantaged Communities.

2. Technical Support Grant Program ($7.5 million funding) will help Climate Leader Communities with funding for technical support for comprehensive proposals for projects identified in Climate Leader Communities’ Municipal Decarbonization Roadmaps.

The DOER will be hosting a webinar about the Climate Leader Communities Technical Support and Decarbonization Accelerator Grants on January 16th at 1:00 PM Eastern Time. For more information about the grant announcement, review the press release.

This update builds on an earlier article by our Municipal Program Director, Brian White. Municipalities continue to face a range of energy challenges. As you prepare your 2025 budgets and plans, remember that many share these issues.

Municipalities deal with limited resources, budget constraints, complex contracts, and market volatility. Freedom Energy provides expert guidance on sustainability, funding, contract management, and strategic energy decisions. This partnership helps municipalities make informed, cost-effective choices and achieve long-term energy goals, fostering sustainable change in their communities.

Want to discover how to tackle these challenges? Read the full article here.

Green Communities Designation

Are you aware that 298 of the 351 cities and towns across Massachusetts hold a Green Communities designation? If your community isn’t one of these communities, applications for municipalities seeking Green Communities Designation are due on December 31, 2024. The next opportunity to apply will be June 30, 2025. For more information about becoming a green community, visit the Green Communities site.

Climate Leader Community Certification

Becoming certified as a Climate Leader Community provides access to grant funding to a municipality Designation applications due for Municipalities seeking Climate Leader Community Certification are due on December 31, 2024. The next opportunity to apply will be June 30, 2025.

Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) Grant Program

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) program offers grants for surface transportation infrastructure projects that have a substantial local or regional impact. The eligibility criteria of the RAISE program enable project sponsors, including state and local governments, counties, Tribal governments, transit agencies, and port authorities, to undertake multi-modal and multi-jurisdictional projects that are typically challenging to finance through other grant programs. More information about the FY25 Notice of Funding Opportunity is available. The RAISE application deadline is January 30, 2025.