Massachusetts is home to approximately 1,800 public school buildings responsible for 880,000 metric tons of carbon every year. Electrifying and decarbonizing these buildings represents a significant opportunity for the state to reach its goal of net zero emissions by 2050. While school districts are well-versed in capital planning, they may not have the experience or technical expertise necessary to incorporate energy efficiency, electrification and decarbonization measures into their capital planning projects.
Green School Works was created to provide financial support to K-12 public schools to install and maintain clean energy infrastructure. The state has committed sixty million dollars ($60,000,000) to Green School Works to date. Funding will go towards project implementation and technical assistance.
The RFQ for technical assistance vendors has been released and is due April 4, 2025, 11:59pm ET.
Technical assistance enrollment for schools and school districts will be available in the coming weeks. This will include building-specific decarbonization assessments and plans and district-wide decarbonization planning.
Program Process and Timeline
Program component |
Timing |
|---|---|
Stakeholder engagement |
Summer – fall 2024 |
Spring 2025 |
|
Technical assistance enrollment for schools & districts |
Spring 2025, rolling |
Request for Information: ITC bridge loans |
Expected spring 2025 |
Opened March 31, 2025 |
|
Additional Resources
Program development was informed through a Request for Information (RFI) released in Summer 2024. RFI responses from K-12 school building decarbonization stakeholders contributed to the design of the Green School Works Program.
Advocacy groups
Improving school infrastructure funding sources
- DOER Climate Leader Communities
- DOER Green Communities Designation & Grant Program
- DOE Renew America's Schools
- Mass Save
Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA)
Informational resources
General
- MA legislation on Section 35: Green School Works
- MA Federal Funds and & Infrastructure Office
- MASC/M.A.S.S. Conference - New funding for improving existing school facilities
Investment tax credit information
Clean energy awareness curriculum
Contact Us
- Please email greenschools@masscec.com with any general inquiries or questions about eligibility, enrollment, or the application process.
- To be notified of Green School Works program updates, sign up for our email list.
- Subscribe to MassCEC’s High Performance Buildings mailing list to be notified of future program opportunities.
Additional Funding Opportunities
BETA: Roadmaps
Custom electrification and decarbonization plan, including financing analysis
Rolling, deadline TBD
BETA: Project Planning
Each participating building will receive an electrification and decarbonization plan, including direction to financing options and a recommended implementation timeline.
Rolling
Accelerating Clean Transportation (ACT) School Bus: Advisory Services Program
No-Cost Advisory Services
Rolling