The electric grid is evolving rapidly to support clean air, healthy communities, and a vibrant economy. Advanced technology for the grid, or “gridtech”, is a type of climatetech that can help the energy system meet these changing demands efficiently, affordably, and equitably. The Gridtech Launch Pad supports grid innovation by providing opportunities for grant funding, partnerships, and policy & regulatory insight to help innovators and utilities develop and deploy gridtech.
The benefits of gridtech are twofold:
- When we deploy gridtech in MA, gridtech benefits residents and businesses by reducing energy costs and improving electric service.
- Supporting MA-based gridtech companies creates jobs and grows the climatetech economy.
Recent Gridtech Launchpad initiatives include the Spring 2025 Gridtech Spotlight in MassCEC’s InnovateMass program. The Net Zero Grid team is currently developing programming to support gridtech in the Commonwealth. Stay tuned for additional opportunities!
MassCEC Grid Connections
Working on Grid Innovation?
Are you a grid-related company or organization with an interest in Massachusetts? MassCEC’s Net Zero Grid Team would like to meet you! Connect with NZG Team.
Past Initiatives
InnovateMass Grid Innovation Spotlight
MassCEC's InnovateMass program provides grant funding to innovators and startups to demonstrate new clean energy and climate technologies or innovative combinations of existing technologies that demonstrate a strong potential for commercialization while providing significant, measurable clean energy and/or climate benefits. Eligible technologies are at Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) 5-8; awards are up to $350,000 per project.
The Winter 2025 round of grant funding provided a “Gridtech Spotlight” opportunity for innovators to partner with a Massachusetts electric utility on a grid technology (“gridtech”) demonstration. Applicants proposed to demonstrate a technology that aligned with areas of interest identified by MA electric utilities. See the InnovateMass page for more information and to apply to future rounds.
Gridtech Adoption Support
NewGrid, Inc.
NewGrid devises software solutions for grid congestion and the integration of renewables that aim to increase grid flexibility and resilience. The Net Zero Grid team provided follow-on funding after NewGrid’s InnovateMass award, which allowed NewGrid to expand the applications of its Router transmission topology optimization technology by developing key software features and demonstrating them for the Independent System Operator-New England (ISO-NE).
envelio
envelio piloted its distribution planning software with Massachusetts utilities via an award from the NZG team’s 2021 Distribution System Planning Lab program. envelio’s Intelligent Grid Platform automates electric distribution system network modeling and proposes upgrade plans that would accommodate distributed energy resources and electrification load growth.
Gridtwin
Gridtwin partnered with Massachusetts utilities to demonstrate its software that forecasts future solar development sites while supporting efforts to streamline and optimize interconnection upgrades with an award from the Distribution System Planning Lab program.