Coalition for a Better Acre gets MassCEC grant for clean energy job training
The Coalition for a Better Acre food pantry into 466 Merrimack St. The CBA was announced as last week as one of four recipients of grant funding from the MassCEC's Climate Service Corps, which will be used to provide clean energy education and job training to local young adults. (Courtesy City of Lowell)
By PETER CURRIER | [email protected] | Lowell Sun
PUBLISHED: October 1, 2025
LOWELL — The Healey-Driscoll administration and other officials formally launched the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center’s Climate Service Corps last week, and with it comes grant funding for a Lowell-based organization to design a program to train young people in sustainable building.
Coalition for a Better Acre was one of four organizations from across the state to receive this year’s Climate Service Corps grant award, with $50,000 going to the organization to help it focus on “training local young people in sustainable building operations in public and affordable housing in the Greater Lowell area.”
The program designed by CBA will be done in conjunction with the city of Lowell and the Lowell Housing Authority.
“The Climate Service Corps is an investment in both people and progress,” said MassCEC CEO Dr. Emily Reichert in a statement. “By supporting organizations that train and mentor young adults for clean energy careers, we are building a workforce that is ready to meet the state’s growing needs and ensuring that clean energy reaches communities quickly, equitably, and effectively.”
CBA has served the Acre neighborhood in Lowell for more than 40 years, starting in 1982 when a group of community members got together to push back against an urban renewal plan that would have displaced hundreds of residents. Over the years the organization has grown, and now CEO Dan Rivera said this grant funding enables them “to invest in the future of the young people in the Acre and our community at large.”
“By preparing the next generation for climate-critical careers, we’re not only opening doors to good-paying jobs, but also ensuring a healthier, more sustainable Lowell for all,” said Rivera in a statement Tuesday morning. “We are excited about launching a program at a time when the Commonwealth is making a concerted effort to invest in affordable and public housing that lowers energy for low-income families while improving comfort and air quality right here in the Acre.”
The CBA’s new Climate Service Corps will be aimed at the education and training of local young adults in “building science fundamentals and sustainable building operations,” according to Tuesday’s statement from the organization. The training curriculum will take into account the general move to all-electric systems in new homes.
The CBA’s program will feature a 20-week training experience combining educational models and job-readiness training in building science, workplace citizenship, communications and financial literacy. Upon completion, participants will “be equipped to pursue careers in fields such as Weatherization, HVAC, Building Automation Systems, Building Inspection, and Facility and Property Management,” the CBA said.
“Over the next six months, CBA will work closely with workforce development consultants and local partners to evaluate and incorporate leading educational programs into the final Climate Service Corps design,” the CBA statement concluded.
Massachusetts Climate Chief Melissa Hoffer said in the announcement statement last week that “Massachusetts is full speed ahead on creating good-paying, meaningful clean energy jobs.”
“Today, MassCEC is making our vision for a Climate Service Corps a reality. Kudos to our hardworking team at MassCEC, and I can’t wait to see the good work these young people are going to do in the world,” said Hoffer.
Other recipients of this round of grant funding for climate-based job training include the city of Boston’s Office of Workforce Development for Powercorps Boston, which is receiving $375,000 for program implementation support. Greenfield Community College, where the grant awards were announced last week, received $374,995 for the same thing. The Worcester Community Action Council will receive $50,000 in grant funding for planning support.
The CSC will focus on young people aged 18 to 24 “in environmental justice neighborhoods, low-income communities, federally recognized or state-acknowledged tribes and current and former workers of the fossil fuel industry,” MassCEC said in the announcement last week.
“The CSC provides planning grants to support local initiatives, and implementation grants to launch and enhance the programs. This creates a clear pathway — from recruitment and skill development to hands-on climate service and work experience in permanent career placements,” MassCEC said.