State Funding for School Decarbonization
In just two years, the landscape for school decarbonization funding in Massachusetts has shifted dramatically - and for the better.
Back in May 2023, communities raised objections to how state funding for new gas boilers at schools was at odds with state and local climate goals.
Fast forward to 2025, and state leaders have discontinued the funding for new gas boilers and launched four new funding opportunities that support heat pump retrofits in schools. And what’s more, the majority of the funding is exclusively available to districts serving a high proportion of students from low-income households.
In January 2025, the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) began accepting Statements of Interest for its new Heat Pump Retrofit Program. (The window closed on March 21.)
On June 5, the Department of Energy Resources (DOER), opened the Regional School District Decarbonization Grant Program. This grant addresses a gap that was created when regional school districts were left out of Green Communities, which is organized at the individual town or city level.
On June 26, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) partnered with the Department of Elementary Secondary Education (DESE) to award $52.5 million in Green School Works implementation grants to 18 school districts, many of which will fund HVAC electrification projects. (There are planning grants available on a rolling basis.)
And on July 21, the DOER released a notice of intent for an ambitious, whole building decarbonization effort called the Transforming Energy in Schools Initiative (TESI).
The critical building improvements these funding opportunities will support couldn’t come fast enough. The recent heat wave and wildfire smoke-laden air remind us of the importance of upgrading HVAC systems to keep students and communities safe.
