The towns of Shelburne and Ashfield have been awarded a total of $30,000 in Municipal Energy Technical Assistance (META) grants from the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources to support clean energy project planning.

“Providing technical support for local governments as they plan for investment in clean energy and lowering energy costs is a priority for the Healey-Driscoll administration,” Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Elizabeth Mahony said in a statement. “These grants offer vital resources for communities to generate their own energy, lower their long-term energy use and improve resiliency, which are all key to achieving energy independence.”

Shelburne and Ashfield were among 12 municipalities across the state — and the only two in Franklin County — to be awarded grants. The META grants are offered through the state’s Green Communities program and are only available to towns that have earned the Green Community designation by committing to reducing their municipal energy usage.

The Department of Energy Resources offers META grants annually to support municipalities, regional school districts, and water and wastewater districts with clean energy projects, and to fund the services of expert consultants and contractors to assist with a range of projects. Applicants may apply for grants of up to $25,000.

Ashfield will use its $15,000 grant to hire a consultant to complete an ASHRAE Level 2 audit of its Highway Garage, Sanderson Academy and Fire Station to identify energy-efficiency and electrification measures. ASHRAE Level 2 audits are in-depth energy audits of commercial buildings.

According to the Department of Energy Resources, Shelburne plans to use its $15,000 grant to conduct an energy resiliency study on behalf of Shelburne and Buckland for the shared Police Station, thus furthering work that was funded by a $14,900 META grant they received last year.

According to the Green Communities 2024 report, Shelburne received $328,192 in additional grants to support energy conservation measures, including the installation of thermostats and heat pumps at various town facilities, such as Cowell Gymnasium and the Highway Garage, as well as the conversion of streetlights to LEDs.

Although Ashfield did not receive a META grant last year, the town received $165,478 in Green Communities grants in 2024 for energy conservation measures such as heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) upgrades, weatherization of town-owned buildings and fuel conversion efforts.

The grant-funded work must be complete by the end of September 2026.

Reach Madison Schofield at 413-930-4579 or mschofield@recorder.com.