Boston -The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) announced a new $1 million program to further the development of clean energy technology in Massachusetts.
Under the program, MassCEC will offer between $100,000 and $300,000 for projects designed to address energy challenges facing the Commonwealth – such as renewable energy optimization, fuel efficient vehicles or energy storage – and will require a 50 percent in matching funds. MassCEC will award the funds to help companies finance demonstration projects, which test and showcase new technologies in preparation to commercialize technologies for the marketplace.
“Massachusetts companies are creating some of the most leading-edge clean energy technologies. Our support will help them create local jobs across the state and expand the adoption of clean energy,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rick Sullivan.
“Helping our emerging companies bring new technologies to market is at the core of our mission to grow the Massachusetts clean energy economy,” said MassCEC CEO Alicia Barton-McDevitt. “Our investments in workforce development, incentives and commercialization are producing results including double-digit clean energy job growth in Massachusetts over the past year.”
Under the Patrick-Murray Administration’s leadership, the Massachusetts’ clean energy economy grew by 11.2 percent from July 2011 to July 2012, according to the2012 Massachusetts Clean Energy Industry Report, which shows the growing sector employs 71,523 people at 4,995 clean energy firms across the Commonwealth.
The development of clean energy technologies requires a successful demonstration and validation of the technology in order to make it investable and ready for mass production.