Clean Energy Choice Bonus Programs
IMPORTANT: Bonus Program Extension
Click here
CLEAN ENERGY CHOICE provides matching funds for a city or town* based on contributions made for renewable energy from households or organizations in that town. MTC sets aside these funds in a CLEAN ENERGY CHOICE account and towns/cities may spend these funds on a variety of renewable energy projects and/or activities.
In addition, Massachusetts cities and towns can qualify for additional funds when a qualifying number of households or organizations become new participants in Clean Energy Choice! There are two different CLEAN ENERGY CHOICE BONUS options for municipalities that increase participation to defined levels.
For the purposes of either bonus program, a new participant is a resident or organization (e.g. business, government, or nonprofit) that does one of the following between May 1, 2007 and June 30, 2008:
- Enrolls for the first time in National Grid’s GreenUp program and remains a participant through June 30, 2008; or
- Enrolls for the first time in Mass Energy’s New England Wind Fund via a $5 or more per month subscription and continues to be an active subscriber through June 30, 2008 (www.massenergy.com); or
- Makes a first-time payment of $100 to Mass Energy’s New England Wind Fund (www.massenergy.com).
The Round Two bonus period started May 1, 2007 and will end June 30, 2008. To qualify, a town must increase the number of CLEAN ENERGY CHOICE participants to the level required by one or the other of the two bonus programs described below. Note: a town cannot qualify for both bonus programs simultaneously. The two different bonus programs are described below by clicking on photos:
 |
 |
| Printer-friendly version of both programs here. | |
*Total grants earned by municipalities are updated 30 days after the calendar quarter end and can be found at www.cleanenergychoice.org on the “For Towns and Cities” page. Note: only municipalities that pay into the Renewable Energy Trust qualify for Clean Energy Choice matching funds.
FAQs about both CEC Bonus Programs
What does a town receive when it qualifies for the Community Solar Challenge?
To learn what is included in the Community Solar Challenge award, view this document.
Who decides which bonus program a town can pursue?
By default, all towns that qualify receive the Percent of Households Bonus unless the Mayor or a Selectman notifies MTC that they wish to take advantage of the Community Solar Challenge Program. If the town does wish to pursue the Community Solar Challenge, the Mayor or a Selectman should notify MTC as soon as possible. The Mayor or Selectman must name a contact person and sign and return this document in order to opt in to the Community Solar Challenge. Please send this completed document to:
Community Solar Challenge
MTC
75 North Drive
Westborough, MA 01581
If you have questions about the Clean Energy Choice bonus programs, please email them to info@cleanenergychoice.org.
When will towns find out if they qualify for either bonus program?
By June 30, 2008, MTC will have processed the Clean Energy Choice participation data and will inform towns as to whether they qualify.
How does a town apply to use money from its Clean Energy Choice account?
To access Clean Energy Choice funds in the town’s account at MTC, the town should fill out the matching grant application (http://masstech.org/CleanEnergyOrg/CEC_Grant_Application.pdf) and have the Mayor or selectman sign it. Towns may submit requests for funds twice a year.
Can the same household be counted twice by enrolling in both the New England Wind Fund and through a National Grid/ GreenUp supplier?
No
Who is counted as a participant when one person makes a donation to New England Wind Fund and gives this as a gift to another person?
The person who makes the donation (gives the gift) is counted as the participant, not the recipient.
FAQS regarding the Community Solar Challenge Program
Who decides where the PV will go?
The final decision rests with the municipality’s mayor or a member of the select board. In the past, local activists have worked closely with their municipal leaders to determine the best site.
What is a qualifying participant for the Community Solar Challenge Program?
A qualifying participant is a new participant that has not previously signed up.
Those households or organizations that signed up previous to April 30, 2007 and renew (by making another annual payment of at least $100 or continue to pay at least $5 on a monthly basis) will earn quarterly matching funds for their town. However, 150 new, additional participants are required in order for the town to qualify for the Community Solar Challenge Program.
Those households or organizations that signed up prior to April 30, 2007 must renew (by making another annual payment or continue to pay on a monthly basis) in order to continue to earn quarterly matching funds for their town. Renewals will be counted towards the baseline level of participation for the town, i.e. if a participant does not renew, more than 150 new households will need to participate in order for the town to qualify for the Community Solar Challenge bonus.
How many solar installations can a town earn?
A city/town may earn up to two PV installations by signing up 300 new participants. In this case, the city/town qualifies for $50,000 from MTC for the installations. For each installation, a pledge of $10,000 from the municipality’s Clean Energy Choice account is required.
Can a town use the $25,000 Community Solar Challenge bonus award and leverage rebates from MTC’s Small Renewable Initiative (SRI)?
No. Because the PV installation bonus is high ($100 per new participant), this bonus program does not dovetail with the Small Renewables Initiative (SRI).
Please note however that Clean Energy Choice quarterly matching grants and/or the Percent of Households bonus can be used along with rebates from SRI to pay for a renewable energy project.
Can a number of small towns get together and earn the Community Solar Challenge bonus? No, smaller towns should consider pursuing the Percent of Households Bonus if they find it difficult or impossible to achieve the participation level required by the Community Solar Challenge.
What towns have qualified for the bonus in the past?
Acton, Brookline, Newton, and Salem qualified for a 2-kW solar photovoltaic (PV) installation by getting 150 new CEC participants by April 30, 2007 (Round One). Cambridge and Lexington each qualified for a total of 4-kW of solar photovoltaic (PV) by getting 300 new CEC participants by April 30, 2007.
Towns That Have Qualified for the Percent of Households Bonus
Thirty-eight towns including Great Barrington, Harvard, and Northampton have reached 3% participation levels and received $50 per participant. In addition, Williamstown has now reached 6% participation and Shutesbury has reached 9% participation. Both of these towns have been awarded $50 for each participant that helped the town achieve this new percentage level. These additional dollars go to the respective town’s Clean Energy Choice matching grants and can be utilized by the town to fund various renewable energy-related items or activities.