TA Grant Information — File 24-0852

Municipal Decarbonization Roadmap Assistance Department of Energy Resources – PON-ENE-2024-015 Page 1 THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY RESOURCES ELIZABETH MAHONY, COMMISSIONER 100 Cambridge Street, 9th Floor Boston, MA 02114 Program Opportunity Notice (PON) Document Title: Municipal Decarbonization Planning Assistance Grant Program COMMBUYS Bid Number: BD-24-1041-ENE01-ENE01-99326 Agency Document Number: PON-ENE-2024-015 Issued: March 5th, 2024 Please Note: This is a single document associated with a complete Bid (also referred to as Solicitation) that can be found on www.COMMBUYS.com. All Bidders are responsible for reviewing and adhering to all information, forms, and requirements for the entire Bid, which are all incorporated into the Bid. Bidders may also contact the COMMBUYS Helpdesk at [email removed] or the COMMBUYS Helpline at 1-888-MA-STATE. The Helpline is staffed from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday Eastern Standard or Daylight time, as applicable, except on federal, state and Suffolk County holidays.

Municipal Decarbonization Roadmap Assistance Department of Energy Resources – PON-ENE-2024-015 Page 2 Municipal Decarbonization Planning Assistance March 5th, 2024 PON-ENE-2024-015 GRANT APPLICATION 1. BACKGROUND & PURPOSE OF GRANT A. Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources The Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) develops and implements policies and programs aimed at ensuring the adequacy, security, diversity, and cost-effectiveness of the Commonwealth's energy supply to create a clean, affordable, and resilient energy future for all residents, businesses, communities, and institutions. B. Green Communities Division The Green Communities Division assists Massachusetts’ municipalities to reduce energy consumption and costs, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and other pollution, and facilitate the development of renewable and alternative energy resources, primarily through the Green Communities Designation and Grant program. The inaugural group of 35 Green Communities was designated in 2010. Since then, the program has grown to include 291 municipalities. In 2021, An Act Creating a Next-Generation Roadmap for Massachusetts Climate Policy, was enacted into law, codifying the Commonwealth’s commitment to achieve Net Zero emissions in 2050 and efforts to combat climate change and protect vulnerable communities. As a result, DOER intends to offer additional opportunities and resources to municipalities that actively participate in the Green Communities Designation and Grant Program through a new program that aligns with the Commonwealth’s goals. “Climate Leader Communities” is a voluntary program that encourages municipalities to implement clean energy and climate-friendly policies and programs to broaden depth and breadth of decarbonizing municipal and school facilities, along with enhanced community engagement. To be eligible for Climate Leader Community certification, communities must meet the following requirements: 1. Be an existing Green Community in “good standing” 2. Have a local body (sustainability committee, energy committee, etc.) that advises the municipality on clean energy/climate initiatives.

Municipal Decarbonization Roadmap Assistance Department of Energy Resources – PON-ENE-2024-015 Page 3 3. Commit to eliminate on-site fossil fuel use by 2050 (municipal buildings/operations) 4. Create a municipal decarbonization roadmap. 5. Adopt a zero-emission vehicle first policy. 6. Adopt the specialized opt-in building code. 2. PROGRAM OPPORTUNITY NOTICE AND FUNDING OBJECTIVES Recognizing that cities and towns may need assistance to develop municipal decarbonization roadmaps, the Green Communities Division is offering planning assistance to eligible municipalities for roadmap development to help achieve Climate Leader Community certification. This planning assistance will be provided through consultants (Consultants) selected by the Green Communities Division and will include the following tasks: Option 1: A desktop analysis and roadmap development for municipalities that have complete, up-to-date building inventories in MassEnergyInsight1 and can, without the assistance of a Consultant, provide information on the characteristics2 of the buildings in its portfolio. In these cases where this information is available, Consultants are not expected to perform on-site facility assessments as they will have most of the building-level information needed to create a decarbonization roadmap with the municipality. Option 2: Facility condition assessment plus roadmap development for municipalities that need assistance with cataloging existing building characteristics2. As necessary, Consultants will conduct walk-throughs with municipal representatives of buildings that cumulatively account for at least seventy-five (75) percent of the community’s total building emissions.3 3. PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION The Green Communities Division will assign all consultants and will oversee the planning assistance process. Consultants will lead the planning activities and ensure that all tasks are completed within the established timeframe. Consultants will be required to schedule a site visit (in person or virtually) at a time convenient to the municipality. The site visit shall be completed within thirty (30) business days of the Consultant’s receipt of the assignment. At the initial meeting, the Consultant shall review the municipality’s materials, assess next steps, and develop a timeline for completion of the roadmap within ninety (90) days. Municipalities that receive decarbonization planning assistance agree to participate fully with the consultants assigned and to provide information and documents requested by the consultant to complete the assignment. DOER intends to accept applications 1 MassEnergyInsight is an online energy benchmarking and tracking tool DOER offers to municipalities. Consultants will be provided access. 2 DOER anticipates roadmaps will consider building characteristics like the condition of the roof, windows, building envelope (insulation and air sealing), on-site renewables (if applicable), and the age and condition of the energy-consuming building equipment like HVAC systems, motors, pumps, controls, and major appliances. 3 Not every municipal facility will need a walk-through, e.g. pump stations, transfer stations, unheated seasonal facilities, storage facilities, etc. Municipalities should focus on buildings encompassing at least 75% of their building emissions category.

Municipal Decarbonization Roadmap Assistance Department of Energy Resources – PON-ENE-2024-015 Page 4 4. APPLICATIONS & AWARDS Applications will be accepted until 4PM Eastern Standard Time, April 12, 2024. Applicants will be notified that their application was received. NOTE: To be deemed complete, an application MUST contain the required signature in Attachment B (Certification of Application), the attachments containing all the required information requested under Eligibility Requirements below as applicable. Green Communities will fund one hundred percent (100%) of the consulting services provided under this program. Consultants have been selected through a competitive Request for Quote (RFQ) process based on background and experience. Awards will be in the form of Consultants and consulting services. Among the factors considered (but not limited to) in determining grant awards will be need, progress toward meeting the certification requirements, and regional coverage. Based on available resources and the number of applications received, communities will be served in the following order of priority: 1. Those who meet four (4) of the six (6) requirements at time of application. 2. Those who meet three (3) of the six (6) requirements at time of application. 3. Those who meet two (2) of the six (6) requirements at time of application. NOTE: Communities that meet one (1), or five (5) of the requirements at time of application may be served based on availability of funds. As it relates to consultant assignments, DOER reserves the right to make all planning assistance assignments through this grant program. 5. ASKING QUESTIONS This Program Opportunity Notice (PON) is being conducted under 815 CMR 2.00, a n d has been distributed electronically using COMMBUYS, the Commonwealth’s official procurement record system (http://www.commbuys.com). The project name is the Municipal Decarbonization Planning Assistance Grant Program, and the project number is PON-ENE-2024-015. Correspondence to the DOER should include this project number as well as the title. All notifications and amendments to this PON will be posted on COMMBUYS. It is the responsibility of every potential respondent to check COMMBUYS for any addenda or modifications to a PON to which they intend to respond. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts and its subdivisions accept no liability and will provide no accommodations to respondents who fail to check for amended PONs or submit inadequate or incorrect responses. Respondents may not alter PON language or any PON component files. Those submitting a proposal must respond in accordance with the PON directions and complete only those sections that prompt a respondent for a response. Modifications to the body of this PON, specifications, terms and conditions, or which change the intent of this PON are prohibited. Any unauthorized alterations will disqualify a response.

Municipal Decarbonization Roadmap Assistance Department of Energy Resources – PON-ENE-2024-015 Page 5 All proposals and information submitted in response to this PON are subject to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Public Records Law, M.G.L., Chapter 66, Section 10, and to Chapter 4, Section 7, and Subsection 26. Any statements in submitted responses that are inconsistent with these statutes shall be disregarded. x This application is available as PON-ENE-2024-015 on COMMBUYS (as a “Bid.”) x All questions must be submitted by 5 PM on March 29, 2024, to COMMBUYS x All answers shall be posted by 5 PM on April 3, 2024, to COMMBUYS x To find an item on COMMBUYS: log into COMMBUYS, locate the Bid, acknowledge receipt of the Bid, and scroll down to the bottom of the Bid Header page. The “Bid Q&A” button allows Bidders access to the Bid Q&A page. x To submit an application, see the instructions on page 9. (The rest of this page is intentionally blank)

Municipal Decarbonization Roadmap Assistance Department of Energy Resources – PON-ENE-2024-015 Page 6 DECARBONIZATION PLANNING ASSISTANCE GRANT APPLICATION A) APPLICANT INFORMATION Municipality Street Address City/Town Zip code CEO Name CEO Title Grant Point of Contact Title Telephone Email B) ELIGIBILITY 1. Provide a letter of commitment from the Chief Executive Officer of the city or town to meet all Climate Leader Community requirements within one year of the technical assistance award. 2. Documentation that the municipality has established an energy committee and/or partnership with a community energy organization to address clean energy and climate issues. Please attach the minutes of the most recent meeting. 3. Have gathered pertinent information on most of their facilities, including, but not limited to: a. Area of conditioned space b. Age of building and any renovations, additions, etc. c. Age of HVAC equipment d. Fuel used for heating and cooling e. Energy (MMBtu) and Emissions (MTCO2e) by building for FY23 f. Hours of operation g. Future plans for the facility h. Facility master plans (if available) i. Capital Improvement plans (if available) It is not necessary to provide the information above to DOER when applying for planning assistance. It will be expected that municipalities will have this information available to Consultants when planning assistance commences.

Municipal Decarbonization Roadmap Assistance Department of Energy Resources – PON-ENE-2024-015 Page 7 Please attach a screenshot of the “ESCO Report – Building Level Usage (MMBTU)” for Fiscal Year 2022 in MassEnergyInsight. Non MassEnergyInsight users should provide the square footage and annual energy consumption for its municipal buildings. PROGRESS TOWARD CERTIFICATION (Please check all that apply) Ƒ Be an existing Green Community in “good standing” ____________ Date of FY23 Green Communities Annual Report submittal Ƒ Have a local body (sustainability committee, energy committee, etc.) that advises the municipality on clean energy/climate initiatives. Ƒ Commit to eliminate on-site fossil fuel use by 2050 (municipal buildings/operations) Please attach a copy of the municipality’s decarbonization commitment. If using a climate action plan adopted by the municipality, include a weblink in the CEO-signed letter of commitment. Ƒ Adopt a zero-emission vehicle first policy Please attach a copy of the policy. Ƒ Adopt the specialized opt-in building code Please provide evidence that the specialized opt-in building code has been adopted. (the rest of this page is blank)

Municipal Decarbonization Roadmap Assistance Department of Energy Resources – PON-ENE-2024-015 Page 8 ATTACHMENT B – CERTIFICATION OF APPLICATION CERTIFICATION OF APPLICATION The Certification of Application below must be provided as a scanned pdf with signature. CERTIFICATION OF APPLICATION The Chief Executive Officer must complete this certification. I, am authorized to execute said Application on behalf of - , the applying municipality, I verify that the information in the Decarbonization Roadmap Planning Assistance Grant Application is true. [Signature of Chief Executive Officer] [Title of Chief Executive Officer] [Date] NOTE: THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER IS DEFINED AS THE MANAGER IN ANY CITY HAVING A MANAGER AND, IN ANY TOWN, HAVING A CITY FORM OF GOVERNMENT, THE MAYOR IN ANY OTHER CITY, AND THE BOARD OF SELECTMEN IN ANY OTHER TOWN UNLESS SOME OTHER OFFICER OR BODY IS DESIGNATED TO PERFORM THE FUNCTIONS OF A CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF A LOCAL CHARTER OR LAWS HAVING THE FORCE OF A CHARTER.

Municipal Decarbonization Roadmap Assistance Department of Energy Resources – PON-ENE-2024-015 Page 9 APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS — If you have any problems or questions about the application process, please contact the Green Communities team at green.communities@mass.gov No paper submission is accepted for the grant application. The process is electronic only. Application Materials Checklist – ARE YOUR MATERIALS READY? Ƒ Begin each of your electronic files with your municipal followed by wording that makes the content of the file clear – REQUIRED. Ƒ Grant Application (Attachment A) (Word or PDF file) Ƒ Signed Certification of Application (Attachment B) (PDF file) Ƒ Supporting documentation (Word of PDF file) Grant Application Process 1. Email the required documents to green.communities@mass.gov. Include “Decarbonization Roadmap Assistance” in the subject line. 2. You will receive an email indicating receipt of the documents. Determination of the grant award will not occur at this time. Get Help Pre-Grant Application Process - Contact your Regional Coordinator Application Process and Technical Issues – Contact the Green Communities team at green.communities@mass.gov