Who is a member?
Our members are the local governments of Massachusetts and their elected and appointed leadership.
The Department of Energy Resources on March 26 announced that seven cities and towns met the requirements to become the state’s third group of Climate Leader Communities.
The newly certified communities are Beverly, Brookline, Eastham, Sharon, Shutesbury, Warwick and Wayland, bringing the total to 35.
Climate Leader Communities are eligible to apply for grants of up to $1.15 million each for projects that reduce municipal emissions and for technical support related to those projects.
Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rebecca Tepper said the work by the communities “to reduce municipal energy use and bills, add locally generated energy, and create stronger, more resilient communities does not go unnoticed.”
“Local energy projects like these add up to make Massachusetts more affordable and more resilient in the face of climate change,” she said.
DOER Commissioner Elizabeth Mahony said the seven new Climate Leader Communities had extensive success in lowering energy use and costs while cutting pollution, and that the program would help to advance community resilience.
The Department of Energy Resources also awarded close to $1.16 million in technical support grants to Climate Leader Communities. Funding ranging from $119,000 to $150,000 was awarded to Aquinnah, Carlisle, Harvard, Melrose, Natick, Stow, Truro and West Tisbury.
The Climate Leader Communities Program builds on the Green Communities Designation and Grant program.
The vast majority of Massachusetts municipalities are designated as Green Communities, and are partnering with the DOER on hundreds of projects to deliver more than $30 million in cost savings each year.
The DOER created the Climate Leader Communities program in response to demand from designated Green Communities for a higher tier of the program. The CLC program encourages municipalities to lower municipal emissions, maximize the efficiency of buildings and transportation, and cut energy costs.
Certified Climate Leader Communities have access to grant funding to support energy efficiency measures and heating and cooling projects, energy management services, and local energy generation on municipally owned property.
To become a CLC, municipalities must meet certification requirements that include a local committee to advise and help coordinate local energy activities in the municipality; a commitment to transition away from on-site fossil fuel use in municipal buildings and fleets by 2050; a zero-emission-vehicle-first policy; and adoption of the Specialized Energy Code.
Climate Leader grant programs will be funded through auction proceeds from the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative and Alternative Compliance Payments.