State Awards $3.5M in Grants to Boost Renewable Thermal Industry

BOSTON — The state Department of Energy Resources (DOER) announced it is providing $3.5 million to nine businesses — including two in Western Mass. — to help grow renewable thermal markets in Massachusetts and strengthen infrastructure development. “The Patrick Administration is committed to growing our economy and supporting local businesses,” said DOER Commissioner Mark Sylvia. “By developing the infrastructure needed to support the adoption of renewable heating and cooling technologies, we will increase consumer options to reduce both the use of fossil fuels and the amount of money spent by Massachusetts homeowners and businesses to heat and cool their buildings.” These are the first grants from the new Massachusetts Renewable Thermal Business Investment Financing Program, which is designed to provide financial support for businesses seeking to establish or expand distribution, manufacturing, or marketing of renewable thermal technologies or supply-chain infrastructure. A variety of technologies are eligible, including woody biomass, grass pellets, advanced biofuels, biogas, solar thermal, and inverter-driven air and ground source heat pumps. The two Western Mass. grants were awarded to Rocky Mountain Wood in Wilbraham, $1 million to develop a community-scale wood-pellet-manufacturing facility; and to Northeast Biodiesel in Greenfield, $540,000 to complete a biodiesel plant and expand waste vegetable-oil collection and biodiesel distribution.