Boston – The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) and the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources’ (DOER) Green Communities Division announced the six municipal governments and regional planning authorities who will participate in a $500,000 pilot program to help local communities identify energy efficiency, renewable energy and other clean energy strategies to meet local energy needs.
The Community Energy Strategies Pilot Program – which will serve 16 communities – will provide technical and financial assistance to these municipalities and regional planning authorities to help identify, prioritize and enable a mix of clean energy strategies and incentives best suited to address local interests, needs, resources and opportunities for clean energy development.
Participating in the pilot program are Northampton, Watertown, Newburyport, Franklin Regional Council of Governments (Greenfield, Montague, Buckland and Shelburne), Metropolitan Area Planning Council (Hamilton, Wenham, Salem and Swampscott), and Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (Amherst, Hadley, Holyoke, Easthampton, East Longmeadow).
The program is designed to help communities assess and evaluate clean energy investments ranging from high-efficiency heating and cooling equipment and insulation to wind turbines and solar electricity systems.
Participating communities and regional planning authorities will receive assistance from industry experts in assessing the area’s clean energy resources, infrastructure and community needs. The goal of the program is to provide communities with a menu of clean energy options depending on their needs and resources.