Massachusetts Natural Resources Grants

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Technology Center (“MassCEC”) seeks applications to its Commonwealth Hydro Program (the “Program”) to facilitate greater energy production and reduced environmental impacts from hydropower facilities that are eligible for the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Portfolio Standard (“MA RPS”). Donor Name: Massachusetts Clean Energy Technology Center (MassCEC) State: Massachusetts County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/09/2024 Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000 Grant Duration: Grant Duration Not Mentioned Details: The Program provides funding for construction projects, new technology deployment, relicensing, and feasibility studies for eligible hydropower generation facilities. Applicants may request funding in the following activity areas: Upgrade of existing hydropower facilities, including but not limited to: turbine replacement or refurbishment; installation or upgrade of automated controls; replacement of wooden flashboards with rubber skirt/inflatable crest gate systems; and enhanced fish or eel passage (in conjunction with measures to increase generation). Existing hydropower facilities that are engaged or will soon be engaged in the FERC relicensing process and are considering means to increase efficiency, increase capacity, and reduce environmental impacts, including but not limited to: Installation of minimum flow turbine on bypass reach; Installation of turbines that reduce fish passage injury and mortality; Closer-spaced and/or self-cleaning trash racks; and Upgrades that increase levels of dissolved oxygen downstream of facility. Development of new hydropower facilities that are eligible for FERC conduit exemptions or FERC determinations that facilities are Qualifying Conduit Hydropower Facilities. Deployment of advanced hydropower technologies, including but not limited to technologies that enable: Fish-friendly hydropower; In-stream hydrokinetic power; and Hydropower operational flexibility. Feasibility studies for facilities described in (1-3) above. Funding Information Maximum possible grant amounts will be capped at the lesser of Three Hundred Thousand Dollars ($300,000) or fifty percent (50%) of actual costs. Eligibility Criteria Each Applicant must demonstrate compliance with the following minimum criteria: Eligible Applicant An Eligible Applicant must be a commercial, industrial, institutional, non-profit or public entity. The Applicant must demonstrate long-term site control over the project location and the rights to the water used to power the system. If the Applicant does not own the dam or conduit associated with the project, a letter of support from the dam or conduit owner is required. Note that once an Applicant has been awarded a grant and executed a grant agreement withMassCEC, that entity is referred to as the Grantee. FERC Status Subject facilities must:  Have a FERC license or exemption and be in substantial compliance with its conditions (the need to amend a license or exemption to accommodate the proposed project will not disqualify the facility); Have a FERC order indicating the facility is non-jurisdictional to FERC (the proposed project must not jeopardize this status, as determined by MassCEC in the sole exercise of its discretion); Have a FERC determination that the facility is a Qualifying Conduit Hydropower Facility; OR Be seeking a license or exemption under one of the following conditions: on a canal system where environmental conditions are managed by the canal system operator under an existing FERC license; OR likely be eligible for a conduit exemption (the determination that a facility is likely eligible for a conduit exemption shall be at MassCEC’s sole discretion). MA RPS Status Facilities must be qualified for the MA RPS, or demonstrate a strong likelihood of gaining qualification. Facility Size, Type and Location  Useful Life -Applicants proposing to rehabilitate or upgrade existing facilities must affirm that the project will have a useful life of at least twenty (20) years and/or that plans and financing are in place to make additional repairs to achieve this useful life. Location- Facilities that are located within the service territory of an electric distribution company that pays into the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust are eligible. Eligible Dams  Dams associated with proposed projects must be intact (i.e., must not have been breached). Projects requiring new dams are ineligible. Minimum Technical Requirements  Hydroelectric turbines and generators may be either new or refurbished. However, all equipment should be accompanied by warranties and service support options, which may be subject to MassCEC approval. Related Parties  The Applicant must procure services from contractors using commercially responsible procurement mechanisms, and to the greatest extent practicable, using competitive procurement procedures. For more information, visit MassCEC.

The FY25 LAND Grant Program, managed by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), offers financial assistance to Massachusetts municipal conservation and agriculture commissions. The program supports the acquisition of conservation land to enhance outdoor recreation, conserve natural resources, and address climate change impacts. Eligible projects include purchases of land or conservation restrictions, and all properties acquired under this program are required to be open to the public for passive recreation. Grant renwed every year

The FY25 Conservation Partnership Grant, overseen by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA), supports qualified 501(c)(3) organizations and conservation districts in acquiring conservation or recreation land within Massachusetts. The grant encourages projects that conserve natural resources, offer recreational opportunities, and address climate resilience aligned with Executive Order 569. Funding is aimed at land purchases or conservation restrictions, with due diligence costs eligible for gifts of land. This reimbursement grant emphasizes protecting strategic open spaces that provide public access and maintain ecological value.

The Food Security Infrastructure Grant (FSIG) Program seeks to ensure that farmers, commercial fishermen, and other local food producers are better engaged with a strong, resilient food system to help mitigate food supply and distribution disruptions, as well as to ensure that individuals and families throughout the Commonwealth have equitable access to food, with a focus on food that is produced locally. Donor Name: Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources State: Massachusetts County: All Counties Type of Grant: Grant Deadline: 05/02/2024 Size of the Grant: $100,000 to $500,000 Grant Duration: 1 Year Details: Projects to enhance equitable access to food for individuals and families throughout the Commonwealth, with a focus on food that is produced locally. The FSIG program (“Program”) also seeks to ensure that farmers, fisherman, and other local food producers are better connected to markets in a strong, resilient food system, and that they have the infrastructure needed to produce and distribute healthy food efficiently and safely. Providing greater, more equitable access to local food and strengthening the role of local food in the Commonwealth’s food system is an important goal of the Program. Local food is defined through this Program as food which is grown/produced and distributed within the Commonwealth. The local food system is a network of consumers, workers, businesses, owners, and supporting organizations engaged in an array of activities, including fishing, farming, preparing, marketing, distributing, serving, and eating food. This network works to produce and distribute food that nourishes the communities, sustains businesses and workers, and supports responsible stewardship of the land, water, and other natural resources. Funding Information Part I: Agriculture Maximum funding per applicant $500,000. Part II: Local Food System Maximum funding per applicant $500,000. Grant Period July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025. Eligible Projects  Eligible projects must be capital improvements including the purchase of equipment and contracted labor costs in order to implement projects, or costs associated with planning and design directly related to capital projects that will allow applicants to strengthen and improve the resiliency of the Commonwealth’s food system while allowing greater access to fresh, local food in a way that addresses systemic inequities. Eligibility Criteria  Applicants may be individuals, for-profit, or non-profit entities. Municipalities and other governmental entities may also be eligible to apply, provided all necessary requirements to submit an application can be met, the ability to utilize funding can be demonstrated, and the entity has the ability to enter into a contract with MDAR. For more information, visit MDAR.

This program provides funding to Massachusetts-based clean technology startups and academic institutions for projects that advance innovations in areas like high performance buildings, clean transportation, offshore wind, and net zero grid technologies.