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As we enter this season of reflection, we want to take a moment to express our deep gratitude to for everyone's continued work towards a just, sustainable, and climate-resilient future in the face of a changing federal landscape.
In this issue of the Climate Newsletter, we are featuring the successful launch of MAPC, Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, and the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA)’s Climate Resilience Playbook. We also have updates on upcoming events, including a Passive House Symposium, a webinar on heat resilience, and the latest grant opportunities for clean energy and climate initiatives.
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Climate Resilience Playbook: An Online Resource for Massachusetts Municipalities
Last month, MAPC, the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, and the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs celebrated the launch of the Climate Resilience Playbook. The playbook is an online interactive tool that local planners and community partners can use to identify and prioritize resilience actions in their communities.
The American Planning Association's Massachusetts Chapter (APA-MA) Awards Committee has selected the Climate Resilience Playbook to receive the prestigious 2025 APA-MA President’s Award!
| | | Upcoming Webinar: Decision-Making Tools for Heat and Stormwater | | Applications Open for MAPC's Technical Assistance Program | | |
Priority Application Deadline: Monday, December 8, 2025
MAPC is accepting project concepts for the 2026 Technical Assistance Program (TAP). Apply by Monday, December 8, 2025 to have your project considered when the greatest amount of funding is available. TAP supports the region's 101 cities and towns to address local and regional challenges and achieve shared goals. Member municipalities can apply to participate in TAP, which gives them access to the skills and expertise of MAPC staff for a project or initiative.
This is an opportunity for you to work with MAPC on local programs and planning initiatives that advance regional goals. Please visit the TAP webpage for information on the 2026 funding priorities. Reach out to us to discuss refining a project concept or a question you’d like to think through together.
| | Applications Open for MassCEC's Green School Works Grant | |
Application Deadline: Friday, February 13, 2026
Award Potential: February 13, 2026
MassCEC is accepting applications for the Green School Works Grant. For this round of funding, MassCEC seeks proposals to fund projects that improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, and/or mitigate impacts of climate change at public K-12 schools. MassCEC encourages districts to take advantage of this funding opportunity to modernize their school buildings while reducing fossil fuel and energy use.
MassCEC is hosting a webinar on the Green School Works grants on Tuesday, December 9th, 2025 at 3:30pm that will provide an overview of the RFP and include a Q&A. Register to join the webinar!
Learn more about the grant and apply!
| Applications Open for Municipal and Tribal Technical Assistance Grant Program Application | | |
Application Deadline: Rolling
The Federal Funds & Infrastructure Office (FFIO) is accepting applications to its technical assistance grant. All Massachusetts local governments and federally recognized tribes, as well as regional organizations whose membership is exclusively composed of municipal governments, community development corporations, and other development authorities or agencies are qualified to apply. Applicants must demonstrate:
- A clear need for technical assistance that advances or supports projects that include but are not limited to infrastructure, climate, housing, and economic development projects.
- That technical assistance advances or support projects for which applicants are either in the process of seeking federal funding or have received federal dollars.
This grant program will prioritize requests from rural communities, Gateway Cities, as well as localities with financial and capacity needs in similar underserved communities. See Attachment B in the FFIO Technical Assistance Grant Programs Guidance Document for any questions regarding definition of designation or email FedFundsInfra@mass.gov.
Apply!
| | Applications Open for MassCEC's Workforce Training Implementation Grants | | |
Upcoming Application Deadlines: Monday, December 8, 2025 and Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Award Potential: Up to $1.2 million
MassCEC's Equity Workforce Training Implementation Grants increase access to modern, relevant training. The grants provide up to $1,200,000 across two to three years in direct funding and technical assistance to organizations that can build and scale career pathways leading to climate-critical priority occupations for individuals from Environmental Justice (EJ) neighborhoods or low-income communities, members of Federally recognized and State-acknowledged Tribes, Fossil Fuel Workers, and other underrepresented populations.
Applicants can apply for one or more of the following strands:
- Strand A: Career Pathway Training Leading to Employment in Climate-Critical Priority Occupations
- Strand B: Clean Energy Pipeline Training Preparedness for Adult Learners and Job Seekers; including pre-apprenticeship preparedness programming
- Strand C: Planning or Capacity Project Leading to Implementation or Pilot of a career pathway training or pipeline training preparedness program.
Learn more and apply!
| | Applications Open for the School Bus Advisory Services Program | | |
Application Deadline: Rolling
Award Potential: No-Cost Advisory Services
Through the School Bus Advisory Services Program, MassCEC provides free fleet electrification planning support to public school districts across Massachusetts. MassCEC is working with a consultant team to address the gap in technical knowledge impeding school bus fleets from electrifying. The consultants will provide public school districts and third-party school bus fleet operators technical services such as vehicle and charging infrastructure analysis, feasibility designs, financial models, preparing for and applying for future funding opportunities, vehicle and charging station procurement plans, and educational materials.
Learn more and apply!
| | Applications Open for the 2026 Climate Smart Communities Initiative (CSCI) Grant | | |
Application Deadline: Thursday, March 12, 2026
Award Potential: $60,000 to $115,000
The Climate Smart Communities Initiative (CSCI) is accepting applications for 2026 CSCI grants. CSCI provides funding and technical assistance to advance community-based climate resilience in communities or regions that are highly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change, with priority for communities that include historically disinvested populations at increased risk to climate-related impacts. The competition is open to US-based project teams composed of a climate adaptation practitioner and representatives from a local or regional government entity and a community-based organization.
See below for key dates and timeline. Learn more and apply!
| | The Future Grid from a Municipal Lens & New Customer Connections Workshop | | |
On Friday, December 12, 2025, the Grid Modernization Advisory Council (GMAC) is hosting a in-person event at UMass Amherst from 9am to 1pm to convene municipal stakeholders and community leaders who are interested in or taking steps to decarbonize and electrify their city or town. Attendees will hear from a panel of speakers from the GMAC and electric distribution companies (EDCs) to learn about the actions Massachusetts is taking to modernize and proactively plan our electric grid, including the electric-sector modernization plans (ESMPs). Western Massachusetts municipal leaders will share their successes and challenges with navigating electrification.
Attendees will engage in facilitated breakout discussions to explore opportunities and challenges of updating our electric grid and identify priority topics for the GMAC’s future work. Additionally, attendees have the option to learn more about distribution system infrastructure through a “virtual” tour of an electric substation. Municipal and community stakeholders are invited to stay for an afternoon New Customer Connections Workshop from 1pm to 4pm led by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) to discuss the new customer connection process, electrification barriers, customer knowledge gaps, and potential solutions.
Register!
| | 2025 Passive House Symposium | | |
On Tuesday, December 9, 2025, Passive House Massachusetts is organizing its annual Passive House Symposium. Under the theme "Raising Standards, Lowering Costs," the 2025 Passive House Symposium will bring hundreds of people from across the building industry and beyond for a day of learning and networking. Anyone and everyone interested in high-performance building in the Commonwealth is encouraged to join.
See the agenda and register here!
| | ResilientCoasts Listening Sessions on Regional Coastal Resilience | |
On Tuesday, December 9 at 1pm and on Thursday, December 11 at 12pm, ResilientCoasts of the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM) is hosting listening sessions to hear from municipal and regional staff and leaders. The goal is to better understand what the state can do to support short-term regional action and help build a pipeline of high impact coastal resilience projects. Through the listening sessions, ResilientCoasts is looking for input on the resources, technical assistance, and other supports needed to facilitate and accelerate cross-municipal planning, project identification and prioritization.
Join to share your feedback on how the state can best support your community in undertaking this work.
Register for the December 9 and December 11 sessions!
| Take a Survey for the Root Cause Solutions Exchange | | |
The Root Cause Solutions Exchange, or the Exchange for short, is a community-driven hub that offers resources and networking to help people who live and work in Massachusetts create healthier, more equitable, and more resilient communities for everyone. The resources offered through the Exchange include digital resources on topics to address root causes of health, seed funds, coaching, and spaces to "exchange" knowledge, resources and partnerships. The Exchange is currently assessing resource needs in the Climate and Environmental Justice field in Massachusetts, starting with a short survey. This quick survey takes less than 5 minutes and will help make the Exchange more helpful and accessible for professionals in the Climate and Environmental Justice field.
Take the survey!
| | Online Course: Alternative Fuel Vehicles Trainings and Energy Storage and Safety Training | |
MassCEC, in collaboration with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), is offering two free online courses. The courses, Alternative Fuel Vehicles Trainings and Energy Storage and Safety Training, address new safety needs presented by the rapid deployment of clean energy technologies across the Commonwealth.
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Training 1: Alternative Fuel Vehicles Training Program for Emergency Responders This 4-hour training teaches emergency responders how to safely deal with emergency situations involving alternative fuel passenger vehicles, trucks, buses, and commercial fleet vehicles. Register here and use coupon code MASSCEC1 to sign up for free!
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Training 2: Energy Storage and Solar Safety for Emergency Responders This training teaches emergency responders how to safely deal with emergency situations involving energy storage systems (ESS) and solar panels. Register here and use coupon code MASSCEC2 to sign up for free!
| | MassCEC Clean Energy Internship | |
Clean energy employers in Massachusetts have an opportunity to host interns through the Massachusetts Clean Energy Internship Program. This program helps connect individuals currently enrolled or recently graduated from college, vocational-technical high schools, or training programs with paid internships at clean energy companies across the state. Employers can get up to $4,320 per intern for the Fall or Spring session, and $8,640 per intern for the Summer session, or for internships related to Construction, Installation, and Maintenance.
Learn more and apply!
Are you a student looking for clean energy internships? Students can apply through MassCEC's Workforce Portal!
| Open Municipal Energy Manager Positions | | Several towns and cities across Massachusetts are hiring Municipal Energy Managers, supported by the Mass Save Municipal Energy Manager (MEM) Grant. This grant helps a municipality, or a group of municipalities hire a dedicated staff member to lead efforts in managing energy use, improving energy efficiency, and reducing municipal greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. See below for open positions and apply today: | | | | |
