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Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) CEO Alicia Barton McDevitt and the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) Commissioner Mark Sylvia today announced that the deadline of the Solarize Massachusetts Program (Solarize Mass) has been extended to Oct. 31, citing high demand for the solar bulk purchasing program.
The program was originally scheduled to end Sept. 30. The program, designed to increase the adoption of solar energy and reduce the cost of solar energy, offers residents and businesses long-term discounted solar pricing and lower prices than traditional sources of fossil fuel-based energy generation, which is also costly to the environment and public health.
Solarize Mass encourages the adoption of small scale solar PV systems by allowing residents and businesses to access a five-tiered, bulk purchasing program in their communities. As more people in a particular community contract for solar energy, the price drops for all involved.
“The adoption of clean, renewable energy is happening from the ground-up in communities across the state through this grassroots program,” said Commissioner Sylvia. “Together we are building a network of reliable, home-grown sources of energy and leaving a clean energy future for the next generation.”
“Extending the deadline will ensure everyone in these communities has the opportunity to take advantage of this program, which serves as a national model,” said CEO Barton McDevitt. “We’re beyond pleased with the response so far and expect the number of signed contracts to increase dramatically during October.”
To date, the 17 communities participating in Solarize Mass – Acton, Arlington, Boston, Hopkinton, Lenox, Lincoln, Melrose, Mendon, Millbury, Montague, Newburyport, Palmer, Pittsfield, Shirley, Sudbury, Sutton and Wayland – have contracted over 288 solar systems with an expected generation of 1.9 megawatts, enough to power the equivalent of 312 homes or cutting the emissions equal to taking 212 cars off the road.
More than 4,500 people have expressed interest in the program, with more than 2,000 of those scheduling site assessments at their homes or businesses.
The installers participating in the Solarize Mass program – Astrum Solar, New England Clean Energy, Northeast Solar Design Associates, Roof Diagnostics, SolarCity, SolarFlair and SunBug Solar – have agreed to extend the program deadline by one month in all 17 communities. Residents and businesses interested in participating should call (617) 315-9306 for more information.
Visit the community pages listed below for extension details specific to their municipality.
Solarize Acton; Solarize Arlington; Solarize Boston; Solarize Hopkinton; Solarize Lenox; Solarize Lincoln; Solarize Melrose; Solarize Mendon; Solarize Millbury; Solarize Montague; Solarize Newburyport; Solarize Palmer; Solarize Pittsfield; Solarize Shirley; Solarize Sudbury; Solarize Sutton; Solarize Wayland.
Under the leadership of Governor Deval Patrick, Massachusetts set a goal of achieving 250 megawatts of solar by 2017. As a result of the Solarize Mass program and other incentives, the state is more than halfway to its goal – with 143 megawatts of solar installed to date, the equivalent of powering 22,618 homes for a year or cutting the emissions equivalent to taking 15,375 cars of the road.
Massachusetts lies at the end of the energy pipeline – lacking indigenous supplies of coal, natural gas and oil. As a result, Massachusetts has some of the highest energy costs in the nation. Of the $22 billion Massachusetts spends annually on energy, $18 billion of that goes to out-of-state and foreign sources. Increasingly the state’s base of renewable energy through programs like Solarize Mass keeps more of that money in the local economy, while creating jobs at the same time.
Clean energy jobs in Massachusetts have grown by 11.2 percent from 2011 to 2012, according to the 2012 Massachusetts Clean Energy Industry Report.

About Solarize Mass
Solarize Mass, which is a partnership between the MassCEC and DOER’s Green Communities Division, encourages the adoption of small scale solar projects. The program is available to 17 Massachusetts Green Communities, which were designated by DOER after those communities committed to reducing municipal energy use by 20 percent. Follow the Twitter hash tag #SolarizeMass for more information.

Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rick Sullivan today announced that the Community Music School has received $124,000 in grant funding from ReBuild Western Massachusetts, a program that offers grants and no-interest loans to residents, businesses and non-profit groups affected by the June 1, 2011 tornado.
The funding is helping the Community Music School, which serves over 1,400 students each year from more than 30 communities, replace an aging, inefficient heating, ventilation and cooling (HVAC) system with new, innovative design that taps geothermal and solar thermal resources to realize significant energy savings.

“This program is part of an overall commitment by the Patrick-Murray Administration to promote energy efficiency and clean energy projects across Massachusetts,” said Secretary Sullivan. “Upon completion of this project, the Community Music School will be using two-thirds less energy than a new system built only to code and be able to focus on its mission: educating and expanding the horizons of its students.”

The Community Music School also received an $187,000 incentive from Western Mass Electric and Columbia Gas and a $300,000 loan from Mass Development has been committed to help facilitate the work.

Since its inception in September 2011, ReBuild Western Massachusetts has committed $1.5 million in direct or leveraged assistance to affected homeowners and business owners in Springfield, Brimfield, Monson, Sturbridge, Charlton, Agawam, West Springfield, Wilbraham and Southbridge.

This funding includes $310,000 in residential grants, $260,000 in loans from local banks, over $75,000 in special solar electricity incentives, over $156,000 in grants to affected businesses and non-profits, nearly $200,000 in grants for energy efficiency in low-income housing and $510,000 for tree planting on private property in Springfield.

ReBuild Western Massachusetts is run jointly by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) and the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER).

“We hope this this energy-efficiency project will also serve as a teaching tool for the more than 1,400 students who pass through these doors each year, displaying the importance of controlling energy consumption in making a brighter future,” said Alicia Barton McDevitt, CEO of MassCEC.

“This program is a continuation of our commitment to the Western Massachusetts communities affected by the June 1 tornadoes,” said DOER Commissioner Mark Sylvia. “Helping people rebuild their homes and businesses using energy efficient methods cuts energy costs, saves people money, and creates local jobs.”

Property owners who suffered storm damage have until October 1, 2012 to contact the program and begin the application process. The building improvements need to be complete by December 31, 2012 and final completed application, receipts and invoices must be submitted no later than January 31, 2013.

Eligible property owners in Hampden and Worcester Counties may apply for loans or grants to fund attic, wall, and basement insulation; high efficiency heating and hot water systems; Energy Star® replacement windows and doors; and solar electric and solar hot water systems.

Participants are eligible to apply if an insurance company, FEMA or other supporting state, local, and federal agencies has documented damage to their home or business. Interested applicants should go to www.mass.gov/energy/rebuildwesternma or call 877-524-1325 to make an appointment with an application and technical advisor.

Center will host topic area sessions at Global Cleantech Meet-up

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) today released a request for proposals as part of its new $1 million program to further the development of clean energy technology in Massachusetts.

Under InnovateMassc (Innovate Mass to the Clean Power), MassCEC will offer grants of up to $150,000 for projects designed to address energy challenges facing the Commonwealth – such as the need for more efficient trucks and shuttle buses, advanced wastewater treatment technologies or energy storage – and will require 100 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.

The program will be highlighted at the Global Cleantech Meet-up, an event sponsored by MassCEC, the Massachusetts Technology Transfer Center (MTTC), the New England Clean Energy Council and the Fraunhofer Center for Sustainable Energy Systems that is expected to draw more than 400attendees from around the world to Boston and Cambridge October 15 through 18.

“We’re looking for teams to create clean energy demonstration projects that have strong commercialization potential and create jobs here in Massachusetts, while reducing energy use and environmental impacts,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rick Sullivan. “We’re looking for leading ideas to fuel our innovative clean energy sector.”

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.

With the idea of benefiting a large cross-section of the Massachusetts clean energy sector, MassCEC will give preference to projects that involve multiple companies, research institutions and energy consumers, relationships that could be forged at the Global Cleantech Meet-up. Potential co-applicants can meet and propose strategic partnerships to respond to the RFP at the Global Cleantech Meet-up.

“If we can help companies and entrepreneurs demonstrate their technology, they have the potential to create new products, new services and even entirely new markets for growth,” said MassCEC CEO Alicia Barton McDevitt. “The Global Cleantech Meet-up offers the perfect opportunity for entrepreneurs to meet with investors and take advantage of this program.”

The Massachusetts’ clean energy economy grew by 11.2 percent from July 2011 to July 2012, according to the 2012 Massachusetts Clean Energy Industry Report, which shows the growing sector employs 71,523 people at 4,995 clean energy firms across the Commonwealth.

The full RFP is available at http://www.masscec.com/innovatemass.

The first deadline for proposals is December 21 [corrected from earlier draft].

“The Global Cleantech Meet-up is the Commonwealth’s premier clean energy event that brings companies from all around the world to hear from and meet with the inspiring and leading voices of our clean energy ecosystem. I’m looking forward to seeing the business results of the connections made at the conference,” said Abigail Barrow, co-chair of the Meet-up and Founding Director of the MTTC.

“As a former CEO of a Massachusetts clean energy technology company, I know how important the demonstration phase of product development is and this funding opportunity fills a much-needed gap for early-stage companies,” said Mitch Tyson, Meet-up Executive Committee Member and Board Chair of the New England Clean Energy Council.

Governor Deval Patrick today announced that the 2013 Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) Internship Program will expand paid internships for college students at Massachusetts-based clean energy companies. Governor Patrick made the announcement at the Global Cleantech Meet-up, an annual conference for clean energy technology industry professionals being held at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center this week.
“I am proud we are able to expand this program and provide more students with an opportunity to gain the world experience necessary to compete in the 21st century global economy,” said Governor Patrick. “Through this program we are creating the clean energy leaders that will fuel our economy for years to come.”
Under Governor Patrick’s leadership, clean energy employment in Massachusetts grew by 11.2 percent from July 2011 to July 2012. The sector now employs over 71,000 people throughout Massachusetts.
During his address today, Governor Patrick discussed how the state is lowering the cost of energy and shaping the Commonwealth’s energy future. By increasing the commitment to renewable energy sources, the Patrick-Murray Administration is poising Massachusetts as a leader in the global energy revolution. Read his full remarks here.
Over the past two summers, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Internship Program placed more than 262 students and recent graduates in internships at more than 77 clean energy companies across the state. As a result of the internship program, 38 students gained full-time and part-time employment.
The expanded program, which will begin taking applications on November 1, will include 10-week internship sessions in the fall and spring, as well as traditional the 10-week summer program.
As in past years, MassCEC will provide Massachusetts-based clean energy companies with stipends of up to $12 per hour for up to 10 weeks for each intern. The summer session will continue to provide for full-time internships, with a cap of $4,800 per intern, while the spring and fall sessions will provide for part-time internships, with a cap of $2,400 per intern.
“Expanding this already robust summer program will help develop the next generation of clean energy leaders who will contribute to the global clean energy industry,” said Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Rick Sullivan, who chairs the MassCEC Board of Directors. “The program supports education and training which further the career goals of tomorrow’s clean energy leaders.”
In addition to compensation, interns gain meaningful employment experience such as networking opportunities, mentoring, and industry knowledge only gained from working within clean energy companies.
“This program is a natural way to connect emerging and established clean energy companies with the educated workforce that can help grow their businesses,” said MassCEC CEO Alicia Barton McDevitt. “These internships allow students and recent graduates to hone the skills they learned in the classroom and prepare for jobs in the expanding global clean energy sector.”
“Clean and renewable energy companies are thriving in Massachusetts, and offer students a wide variety of professional experiences,” said Peter Rothstein, president of the New England Clean Energy Council, which co-sponsors the program. “This program will continue to grow the innovation and leadership of this sector by grooming our next leaders. And by engaging these students in the clean energy sector, we promote the industry as an important career path.”
Earlier this month, the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) ranked Massachusetts as the number one state for energy efficiency policies and programs. ACEEE applauded the Commonwealth for continuing expansion on traditional energy policy and taking innovative approaches to investing in energy savings, creating clean energy jobs, and reducing reliance on foreign sources of energy, while cutting greenhouse gas emissions.

Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) CEO Alicia Barton McDevitt today announced Hopkinton residents and businesses have qualified for the lowest pricing tier available under the Solarize Massachusetts Program (Solarize Mass) and will receive prices well below rates for traditional sources of energy.

As a result of Solarize Mass, the average Hopkinton participant who enters into a contract to buy solar electricity will now pay an average of 5 cents per kilowatt hour. This rate is lower than the average statewide price of 15 cents per kilowatt hour for traditional energy sources, which are a mix of coal-fired, nuclear or natural gas generation.

Residents and businesses have until October 31 to sign contracts to participate in the bulk purchasing program.

“I hope Hopkinton’s renewable energy leadership will inspire residents in this community and beyond to take advantage of this program that not only cuts energy costs, but creates local jobs,” said MassCEC CEO and Executive Director Alicia Barton McDevitt.

Under the leadership of Governor Deval Patrick, Massachusetts set a goal of achieving 250 megawatts of solar by 2017. As a result of the Solarize Mass program and other incentives, the state is more than halfway to its goal – with 162 megawatts of solar installed to date, the equivalent of powering 25,623 homes for a year.

To date, a number of residents and businesses in Hopkinton have banded together to participate in the program, contracting 38 solar systems for a total capacity of 252 kilowatts (kW).

Solarize Mass, which is available in 17 Massachusetts communities including Hopkinton, offers five tiers of discounted pricing based on the total solar capacity contracted under the program. As more residents and businesses contract for solar, the price for solar energy drops. Solarize Mass is administered by MassCEC and the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER).

“This is a bright day for Hopkinton residents and businesses,” said DOER Commissioner Mark Sylvia. “Solarize Mass and the 103 Green Communities are helping spread solar power across the 340 of 351 communities that now have at least one state-supported solar electricity project.”

The average Massachusetts household uses 667 kilowatt hours per month, equivalent to an average $100 monthly bill for traditional energy sources. By installing a solar electric system under the Solarize program, Hopkinton homeowners entered into contracts to purchase solar would pay $33.

A committee of Hopkinton volunteers and municipal officials selected a partnership between Framingham-based SolarFlair.

The Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) CEO Alicia Barton McDevitt today announced a new program to assist commercial or non-profit building owners in reducing their water heating bills up to 20 percent by installing solar hot water systems.
The program, a partnership between MassCEC and Medford-based Paradigm Partners, will help building owners install solar hot water systems on their roofs with little or no upfront costs. MassCEC will provide a $250,000 grant for the program, with Paradigm Partners providing $250,000 in in-kind services, while also leveraging more than $800,000 in private investment.
Under this new model, private third parties will install, own and operate the solar hot water systems, which use the sun to preheat water for a variety of building uses, displacing fossil fuel use. The building owner then agrees to purchase the energy generated by the system at a competitive and stable rate.
“By pioneering a third-party ownership model, this program will drive down or eliminate upfront cost to building owners who install commercial solar hot water systems,” said Barton McDevitt. “By making commercial solar hot water systems more affordable to building owners, we can increase their adoption and help create a cleaner energy future for everyone.”
Paradigm Partners – a turnkey provider of renewable heating and cooling systems – will be responsible for deploying between six and 10 large-scale systems throughout the state.
“We’re excited to deploy new strategies that directly replace expensive, dirty and inefficient fossil fuels like heating oil,” said Michael Hogan, managing partner at Paradigm Partners. “I applaud MassCEC for continuing to lead the country by focusing on the most critical point in the value chain, where energy users benefit from clean technology on their buildings.”
“This is great news for the solar heating and cooling industry. Massachusetts is one of the fastest-growing markets for solar heating and cooling, and this new commercial program will lead to more local jobs,” said Carrie Hitt, vice president of state affairs at Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). “There are 50 solar heating and cooling companies located in Massachusetts, including at least six manufacturing sites, representing jobs along all sectors of the solar supply chain.”

Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) CEO Alicia Barton McDevitt and Avi Hasson, Chief Scientist of Israel, today announced the second round of the Massachusetts-Israel Innovation Partnership (MIIP) to fund collaborative research projects focused on innovative water technologies.
“Finding reliable and clean sources of energy and water are two of the most important environmental challenges facing the world today and forging international partnerships will help create solutions,” said Barton McDevitt. “We’re thrilled to help unite Massachusetts and Israeli companies around innovations designed to tap into sustainable supplies of both resources.”
“Water innovation has long been a national priority and has presented Israel with a tremendous opportunity to become a global leader in fields such as water treatment, water reuse, desalination and drip irrigation,” said Hasson. “We are very pleased to join forces with our long-time friends and partners in Massachusetts and continue to strengthen the water industry by fostering innovation, development and commercialization of additional export markets.”
Barton McDevitt and Hasson made the announcement at today’s W.E.T. Revolution, part of the Massachusetts Water Innovation Mission to Israel.
Application teams should include one Massachusetts company and one Israeli company, who will partner to work on a collaborative research project. Up to two teams will be selected for the grant. MassCEC will provide $250,000 and Israel will provide matching funding.
"Brainpower and innovation will be critical in addressing global and local sustainability, especially in water," said Rep. Carolyn Dykema, who is part of the Massachusetts Water Innovation Mission to Israel . “It's exciting that entrepreneurs from Massachusetts and Israel are finding solutions to these problems, and the MassCEC grant program will only speed up progress, while creating jobs and opportunity here in the Commonwealth. I'm proud that Massachusetts is leading the way with such a creative and effective program."
The MIIP, established as a direct result of Governor Patrick’s 2011 Massachusetts Innovation Economy Partnership Trade Mission to Israel, was born out of a coalition of Massachusetts and Israeli leading business executives and senior government officials interested in growth opportunities of common interest for Massachusetts’ and Israel’s innovation industries.
This second round of MIIP award funding is focused on bringing together the Massachusetts and Israel water and energy innovation clusters, two of the leading such clusters in the world, providing access to new employees, researchers, customers and commercial opportunities in the long run. The volume of water required to produce energy and the amount of energy required in the treatment of water is an important link that embodies this program. 

About the Office of the Chief Scientist and MATIMOP
The Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS) of the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor, empowered by the Law for the Encouragement of Industrial Research and Development, oversees all Government-sponsored support of research and development in Israeli industry. This broad spectrum support stimulates the development of innovative state-of-the-art technologies and enhances the competitive power of the industry in the high-tech global market. MATIMOP, the Israeli Industry Center for R&D acts on behalf of the OCS and facilitates international cooperation programs through various  bi- and multi-national industrial research and development agreements aiming to enhance cooperation in research and development and technological innovation between Israeli and foreign enterprises and academic research institutes.

Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) CEO Alicia Barton McDevitt today announced a grant of up to $260,000 to help strengthen and grow the research capacity of the University of Massachusetts Lowell’s Wind Energy Research Group.
The grant includes $115,000 for a graduate student program in conjunction with MassCEC’s Wind Technology Testing Center in Charlestown. The grant also provides $100,000 to support the continued development of an Industry/University Cooperative Research Center for which UMass Lowell is seeking funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF). If the NSF funds the center, the grant provides an additonal $45,000 for MassCEC’s membership in the center.
“The research center will further strengthen the wind energy research cluster here in Massachusetts by bringing together the university and private developers to reach a common goal,” said Barton McDevitt. “Training the next generation of researchers will accelerate the development of the next generation of high-performance wind energy technologies designed to generate even more clean power from a single turbine.”
"UMass Lowell's expertise in wind blade technology is helping the nation expand its supply of alternative, clean energy sources. Our partnership with the Wind Technology Testing Center and MassCEC will help ensure that Massachusetts is a center for advances in the industry,” said UMass Lowell Chancellor Marty Meehan. “We are grateful to the MassCEC for their support of the important research being conducted by UMass Lowell faculty.”
“As our country faces new energy challenges, the need for renewable, domestic sources of energy has become a national priority. Wind power, one of the cleanest renewable fuels, is an important part of solving the energy puzzle,” said U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas. “MassCEC is a real asset in helping to make the Commonwealth a leader in clean energy research and development, and the center's partnership with UMass Lowell is a benefit to our entire region. This grant will enable UML to continue expanding into one of our region’s premier innovation, technology and research centers, and lend its remarkable resources to the search for clean energy solutions.”
“This is exciting news for UMass Lowell and for the city of Lowell itself,” said state Rep. Thomas Golden Jr. “UMass Lowell students are extremely fortunate to be able to participate and work in a first-class research facility. MassCEC’s grant will also bring excellent researchers and developers to the Lowell community and the UMass Lowell Campus and provide our students with amazing future career opportunities.  As the Industry/University Cooperative Research Center continues to develop and thrive, I look forward to watching students from our own community excel in the field of clean air technology and become the next innovative researchers.”
“I am encouraged when I see public-private partnerships centered around innovative ideas, like this one,” said state Rep. David Nangle. “Lowell has been historically involved in cutting edge technology.  This and other local projects like it, remind us that Lowell can be a player in the innovation economy of the future.”
“We all have a role to play in promoting clean energy,” said state Sen. Eileen Donoghue. “Securing the funding for expanded research is an important part of this equation. I’m certain that this grant from MassCEC will allow UMass Lowell to continue their leadership in wind energy research.”
More than 50 wind technology companies have expressed interest in joining the research center, which will serve to bring together those in the industry with the students and professors of UMass Lowell. The center will also further strengthen the university’s ability to attract and graduate students in disciplines that support the Commonwealth’s wind energy cluster.
As part of comprehensive statewide policies to further the development and adoption of clean energy, Governor Patrick has set an ambitious, but achievable, goal of having 2,000 megawatts of wind energy installed in Massachusetts by 2020.
The Patrick-Murray administration has focused on growing the state’s clean energy sector as a way to create local jobs and keep more energy dollars here in the Massachusetts economy.

Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) CEO Alicia Barton McDevitt and Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) Commissioner Mark Sylvia today announced the launch of a new $100,000 pilot incentive program to assist residents in trading their inefficient wood-, wood pellet- or coal-burning stoves for safer, higher-efficiency models.
Residents who qualify for the program – which is a partnership between MassCEC and DOER – will receive a voucher of either $1,000 or $2,000 to replace older non-EPA certified stove models with high efficiency stoves that use less wood and release less air pollution.
“Clean energy adoption can sometimes come from places you least expect it, but have a big impact on our energy costs, our environment and our health,” said Barton McDevitt. “Newer stoves are more efficient, save families money each month on wood costs and provide better air quality that keeps more people healthy.”
Until Jan. 17, 2013, this program will be open only to low-income residents who provide proof of enrollment in the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), MassHealth or Women, Infants and Children (WIC).
After Jan. 17, the program will open up to all eligible Massachusetts residents who have a qualifying woodstove to trade in.
Low-income residents are eligible for a $2,000 rebate, while other Massachusetts residents are eligible for a $1,000 rebate.
“We hope this program inspires people across the Commonwealth to upgrade their wood heating systems and save themselves money, make their homes more comfortable and the air cleaner,” said Commissioner Sylvia.
“This program is a great example of how state agencies work together to support our clean air goals,” said Kenneth Kimmell, commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, which is charged with ensuring clean air across the Commonwealth. “Because new woodstoves emit approximately 70 percent less pollution than older, conventional stoves, MassDEP worked with our partner agencies to ensure that the change-out program targets the less-efficient stoves and significantly reduces local particulate emissions.”
Residents can participate in the program by filling out an online application or submitting a paper application. Once it is approved, MassCEC will issue a voucher, which can be redeemed at any participating woodstove dealer in Massachusetts for a discount on the retail price of the stove. MassCEC will then reimburse retailers for the value of the voucher.
To qualify, residents must already have an existing woodstove to trade in and must receive approval for a rebate before purchasing the woodstove. Woodstoves purchased before a rebate is awarded are not eligible for the program.
Residents can apply for a voucher, and access more information on the program, by visiting www.masscec.com/woodstove.
Funding for this program comes from the 2010 Alternative Compliance Payments (ACP) Spending Plan.  ACPs are paid by electric retail suppliers if they have insufficient Renewable Energy Certificates to meet their compliance obligations under the Renewable Portfolio Standard programs. DOER establishes the plan for use of these funds to support clean energy development in the Commonwealth.

Popular energy efficiency program funds close to 100 new stoves, second round of funding set for Jan. 18
Due to overwhelming demand, the Commonwealth Woodstove Change-Out Pilot Program – which provides rebates for the replacement of old, inefficient wood-, wood pellet- or coal-burning stoves – is closed and will no longer accept applications for the program’s first funding block of $100,000.
The pilot program, which was launched by the Department of Energy Resources (DOER) and the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) on Dec. 27, has exhausted its initial round funding after 12 days. Completed applications that have already been submitted electronically by Jan. 7 and paper applications postmarked by Jan. 7, will be honored as part of the initial round of funding.
Applications received after Jan. 7 or incomplete applications submitted by Jan. 7 will not be accepted. Applications may be resubmitted on or after Jan. 18, either by mail or electronically at apply.masscec.com once the second round of funding becomes available. More details on the application process for the second round will be added to www.masscec.com/woodstove as they become available.
DOER, MassCEC and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection are in the process of launching a second round of funding available beginning Jan. 18.
The Commonwealth Woodstove Change-Out Program provides vouchers of $1,000 or $2,000 to replace older non-EPA certified stove models with high-efficiency stoves that use less wood and release less air pollution. To qualify, residents must already have an existing woodstove to trade in and must receive approval for a rebate before purchasing the woodstove. Woodstoves purchased before a rebate is awarded are not eligible for the program.