Commonwealth Small Pellet Boiler Pilot Grant Program

MassCEC and DOER have dedicated $475,000 to the Commonwealth Small Pellet Boiler Pilot Grant Program. This program provides financial assistance in the form of grants to Massachusetts residents and organizations who install high-efficiency, low-particulate matter (PM) wood-pellet boilers or furnaces in their homes or businesses.

Grants in this program will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis.

Eligibility

To qualify for a grant, the installed boiler or furnace must be used in a year-round residence or small business where the building occupant pays into the Massachusetts Renewable Energy Trust. All customers of investor-owned utilities – National Grid, NSTAR, Western Massachusetts Electric Company, Unitil (Fitchburg Gas and Electric) – and participating municipal lighting plants (Ashburnham, Holden, Holyoke, Russell and Templeton) pay into this trust.

All applicants will need to provide MassCEC with a copy of an electric bill for the project site at the time of application so that MassCEC can verify eligibility.

Property owners may submit an application for a property that they own, even if it is not their primary residence or place of business, however the project site must be occupied year round.

These grants can be combined with any other local, state or federal incentive, and applicants are encouraged to do this where possible.

Funding Availability and Grant Structure

Grants will remain available on a first-come, first-served basis until funds are exhausted.

Grants will be distributed once all necessary paperwork is submitted to and approved by MassCEC.

Grant amounts will be determined on the following basis, with further details available in the program manual, which can be found below.

Please Note: Grants may be considered taxable income to the awardees by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service and the Massachusetts Department of Revenue. Awardees are strongly encouraged to consult with a tax professional to determine the federal and/or state tax implications of receipt of the grant. A tax liability may exist whether the grant payment is made directly to awardees or to the installer on the awardees’ behalf.

MassCEC will send out a Form 1099 to awardees that receive grants as part of this program.

Application Process

To apply for a grant, all applicants must work directly with their installer to complete and submit the appropriate paperwork. Applications can be found in the Program Documents section below, and are also included in the program manual.

Applicants are encouraged to read the program manual thoroughly before submitting an application. Installed boilers must meet minimum technical requirements as outlined in the program manual.

If you have questions that are not answered in the program manual, or cannot be answered by your installer, please email biomassthermal@masscec.com.

Program Documents

• Program Manual
• Application and Participant’s Agreement
• Project Completion Form