DOER PON-ENE-2025-014 Climate Leader Communities Decarbonization Technical Support Grant Program

The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) has issued a Program Opportunity Notice (PON) for the Climate Leader Communities Decarbonization Technical Support Grant Program. This program is designed to assist certified Massachusetts Climate Leader Communities by providing funding for technical support to generate recommendations and engineering design documents for projects that align with the applicant's Climate Leader Communities Municipal Decarbonization Roadmap. Eligible projects may include renewable thermal systems, photovoltaic systems, clean energy resilience, energy storage, and other relevant strategies. The PON has up to $7,500,000 in funding available, with grants not to exceed $150,000 per award. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until June 30, 2027 and evaluated semi-annually. The evaluation criteria prioritize projects that significantly reduce or eliminate onsite fossil fuel use, have the potential for significant environmental and/or fiscal benefits, and contribute to the goals of the applicant's Climate Leader Communities Municipal Decarbonization Roadmap. Applicants are encouraged to leverage other internal and external funds, including utility incentives, to support the technical studies.

The PON is open to certified Massachusetts Climate Leader Communities, and DOER reserves the right to reject incomplete applications and provide partial awards based on the scope and potential decarbonization impacts of the proposed technical support. There are no set-aside designations or restrictions on the types of organizations that can respond. The PON does not list any incumbent vendors or current contractors, and there is no information provided about existing infrastructure or technology that requires integration. The total available budget for the program is $7,500,000, with individual grant awards not to exceed $150,000.