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This month, we celebrated 10 years of regional climate action through MAPC's Metro Mayors Coalition (MMC) and committed to goals for the next 10 years. Since 2015, the MMC's 17 cities and towns in our region have built an inter-governmental Climate Taskforce, adopted a regional "Net Zero by 2050" goal, implemented hundreds of policies and actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and developed a first-of-its-kind regional heat preparedness and adaptation plan.
This newsletter also highlights an upcoming symposium on heat and health, the start of the 2025 Peak Demand Notification Program, grant opportunities, and more!
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Celebrating 10 Years of Climate Work by the Metro Mayors Coalition
On Monday, May 12 the mayors and managers from the Metro Mayors Coalition (MMC) came together at the Museum of Science in Boston to celebrate the ten-year anniversary of the adoption of the 2015 MMC Climate Commitment, and the work accomplished to date. At the event, MMC members also signed an updated 2025 MMC Climate Commitment, recommitting to their shared goals of advancing regional climate efforts.
| Standing left to right together, and holding the signed Climate Commitment: MAPC Deputy Executive Director Lizzi Weyant, Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, MAPC Executive Director Marc Draisen, and U.S. Senator Edward Markey. Photo by Angela Rowlings. | | | Fostering Collaborations: A Symposium to Advance Equitable Heat Health Actions | | |
MAPC, in partnership with the Center for Climate and Health at Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH), is hosting an in-person regional symposium titled Fostering Collaborations: A Symposium to Advance Equitable Heat Health Actions on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. By bringing together experts and leaders from academic, state and municipal governments, healthcare institutions, community-based organizations, foundations, and advocacy groups in the region, the symposium aims to help bridge the gap between research and practice. Learn more and view the agenda. The Symposium is part of Strengthening Pathways: a national conversation about health research.
Register to join the Symposium.
| | MAPC 2025 Peak Demand Program | | MAPC runs a free Peak Electricity Demand Notification program for our municipalities to learn how to reduce demand and the costs and emissions associated with capacity charges. MAPC can also help connect you to other demand management opportunities offered by ISO-New England (ISO-NE), National Grid, and Eversource. | | | |
Every morning from Tuesday, June 3 through mid-September, MAPC will send out an email that assesses the risk that the annual peak could occur that day and, if so, at what time. The notifications also include an outlook for the next week so municipalities can plan ahead. MAPC develops this assessment by analyzing data provided by the grid operator, ISO-NE.
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Sign up for notifications.
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Learn more about the ConnectedSolutions Active Demand Reduction initiative which provides utility payments for reducing energy usage during peak periods.
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Join MAPC and Eversource on Monday, June 16 from 12-1 pm to learn more about the Peak Demand Notification Program and other ways to manage demand and costs this summer. Register now!
| | Solar Smart Permitting: SolarAPP+ Demo and Testimonial | | |
Residential solar permitting in Massachusetts continues to be inefficient, adding delays and costs to solar installations that are passed onto customers and constraining the capacity of municipal officials. The U.S. Department of Energy's Solar Energy Technologies Office, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and other stakeholders teamed up to develop Solar Automated Permitting Processing (SolarAPP+), a tool that makes it easier for municipalities to quickly and safely approve standardized rooftop solar projects. Available at no cost to cities and towns, SolarAPP+ has revolutionized permitting for typical residential solar installations: adopted by over 280 jurisdictions in 15 states, NREL estimates that SolarAPP+ saved municipal officials over 15,400 hours in staff time and accelerated solar permitting by 150,000 business days in 2023. SolarAPP+ works with jurisdictions to customize the platform for local requirements. The process requires no downloads and takes about two weeks to set up.
Interested in learning more—or becoming one of the first Massachusetts municipalities to adopt SolarAPP+? Join MAPC and partners on Thursday, June 26 at 11 am for an introduction to and demo of SolarAPP+ by Bronson Bast, the Community Engagement Lead from the SolarAPP+ Foundation. The webinar will also include insights from Kimberly Norman-Rosendam, the Chief Building Official for the Town of Guilford, CT. Guilford is an early adopter of SolarAPP+.
Register for the June 26 webinar. Interested in SolarAPP+ but can't make the webinar? Email cleanenergy@mapc.org for more information.
| | Webinar Recording: E-Cargo Bikes: Small-Scale Deliveries for Big Impact | | |
New DOER Climate Leader Communities
| | On Friday, May 2, the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) announced that 19 cities and towns applied for and met the requirements to become the state’s first group of Climate Leader Communities. The communities are now eligible to apply for grants of up to $1.15 million each for projects that reduce municipal emissions and for technical support ahead of those projects. The certified communities are Acton, Amherst, Arlington, Ashfield, Cambridge, Carlisle, Chelmsford, Easthampton, Lexington, Melrose, Natick, Pelham, Salem, Somerville, Stow, Swampscott, Truro, Watertown and Wellesley. Congratulations! | | MassCEC Launches High School Clean Energy and Climate Technology Curriculum | | The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) recently launched a curriculum designed to introduce high school students and participants in workforce development programs to careers in the clean energy and climate technology sectors. Massachusetts Climate Careers: Powering the Future provides students with an introduction to climate change impacts and current solutions and explores a variety of local careers in clean energy. Browse the free curriculum! | | Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP) Summit 2025 | | The NEEP Summit 2025 will be held from Tuesday, June 10, 2025, to Thursday, June 12, 2025. Summit 2025 will explore the key role of collaboration between state and local government, businesses, utilities, and communities in addressing the growing challenges of energy affordability, load growth, and climate impacts. Check out the agenda and register! | | |
MassDEP Bureau of Water Resources Grants Information Session
| | Join the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection's (MassDEP) Water Resources Bureau virtually on Thursday, June 12 at 1 pm to learn more about FY26 drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, and water quality grants. Register. Contact Courtney Starling with any questions. | | Electric Vehicle Workplace & Fleet Charging Incentives | | The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection’s Massachusetts Electric Vehicle Incentive Program (MassEVIP) Workplace and Fleet Program is funding charging station projects for medium- and heavy-duty vehicle fleets. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. The application will be open until all funds are awarded. MassEVIP Workplace & Fleet Charging is one of several MassDEPgrant programs aimed at making electric vehicles (EVs) and EV charging stations more widely available across Massachusetts. Eligible applicants include private or public fleet owners with at least 15 employees on-site. Learn more and apply. | | Statewide E-Bike Voucher Program Applications Open | | In mid-April, MassCEC launched the Massachusetts Statewide Electric Vehicle Incentive Program. The e-bike incentive offers income-based vouchers of $800 to $1,200 for qualifying applicants to assist with the purchase of electric bicycles. There is also an additional voucher for safety gear and a bike bump. The program is designed to help low- and moderate-income residents' access clean and affordable transportation. The Massachusetts Statewide E‑bike Voucher Program is part of the state’s strategy to reduce growth in vehicle miles traveled and greenhouse gas emissions in the Commonwealth. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, with about 3,000 vouchers awarded through a random process monthly from April to September. Apply. | | Apply for a Building Retrofit Seed Grant | | The Building Electrification Accelerator (BEA) is offering two seed grants of up to $10,000 each to support organizations advancing building retrofits in environmental justice communities in Massachusetts. Applications are due by Friday, June 13, 2025. Learn more and apply! | | Solar Upgrading Nonprofits | | Resonant Energy is partnering with the Providers’ Council to support nonprofit service providers across Massachusetts as they explore solar as a means of reducing their operating costs and contributing to a clean environment for their constituents. The benefits of the program include no-cost solar feasibility and financial analysis, stipends to cover staff time spent exploring solar (up to $7,500, depending on portfolio size), and free grant writing assistance. Applications for the first phase will be accepted through Monday, June 30, 2025. Learn more. | | | | |
