[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6094764,"mediaKeyId","2841955-8888e8b53c55bb9b4678f264e66088cc","parentId",2841955,"title","Nonprofits and watershed groups say suspended federal payments slowed resilience projects and strained partners","audioSeconds",578,"startMs",6292000,"endMs",6870000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2841955-8888e8b53c55bb9b4678f264e66088cc&start=6292&end=6870","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2841955-8888e8b53c55bb9b4678f264e66088cc/thumbnail_6292000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6094764/Massachusetts/Nonprofits-and-watershed-groups-say-suspended-federal-payments-slowed-resilience-projects-and-strained-partners","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6094764-a7805d1a5f3c33aec5cd80e87c37c142/orig.mp4?Expires=1771195036&Signature=GhjDoVAvHlm4dZzNC8FYsMG0b~HNDmBlNvRYO3~xFlZMuAXCgck~RrRv6XK9cf3D2hzLvrZYwN3UMYQ9ttYHRG5vqcrlb~xGv~tOSufWCsUg8D3DeLkzG3teDxP~2oVJ9Olzn3YY8zouDG83JdaJvFjJPXQidVsKDcaBWOKnmBaAGQeXicf-9JihlRryUui92UchuRaM3o3DblCsn7gXDDTLLiNk~S8cB0oaODPMGvRdw~rrG3WXH8XJevnPu3DN711j~ep4wYly80VP5aetj741GX6FmD4YlOuiR2BA6XpMk6G5JM45Fat6SQky~7Bi7h0mpaQxyPAThdhMMtJ1IQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Massachusetts Legislature","date","2025-04-01T00:00:00Z","article","Three nonprofit witnesses described how intermittent federal payment access and canceled grant programs are affecting on-the-ground resilience and restoration work.

Andrew Gottlieb, executive director of the Association to Preserve Cape Cod, said six wetland-restoration grants awarded under EEA programs were funded on a reimbursable basis and that the project's online payment portal was suspended after January 21. Gottlieb said the portal did not permit draws for roughly three weeks and that access resumed only after a Rhode Island federal judge found the administration had unlawfully suspended payments. He said the pause created cash-flow risk for contractors and local partners and also chilled private philanthropic interest in future project co-funding.

Patrick Herron, executive director of the Mystic River Watershed Association, testified that a previously approved $500,000 EPA grant to support extreme-heat mitigation in Chelsea, Malden and Everett had been terminated. He urged the Senate to consider higher municipal vulnerability planning funding in the environmental bond bill and stressed the need for rapid state alternatives when federal funds are delayed.

Emily Norton, executive director of the Charles River Watershed Association, said several EPA and congressional community-project funding streams were canceled or delayed (including an announced pause on certain community project funding/earmarks and cancellation of a regional EPA Healthy Communities grant program). Norton also described concerns about federal mapping and USGS staffing cuts that limit high-quality elevation and stream-gauge data used for flood planning.

Witnesses asked for clearer state contingency plans, expedited state-administered grant support for municipal vulnerability planning, and more rapid bridge funding so contractors and community organizations are not forced to halt work when federal reimbursements are unavailable.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Committee on Climate Change and Global Warming -- 4-1-2025","oneSentenceSummary","Witnesses from Cape Cod, Mystic River and Charles River watershed groups testified that suspended federal reimbursements and canceled grant programs delayed construction, slowed tree-planting and heat-mitigation work, and reduced foundation and municipal willingness to fund new projects.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MA, Massachusetts","taxId",77682,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6094770,"Advocates urge expansion of state climate bank to leverage private capital as federal funding wobbles",248,5902000,6150000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2841955-8888e8b53c55bb9b4678f264e66088cc&start=5902&end=6150","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2841955-8888e8b53c55bb9b4678f264e66088cc/thumbnail_5902000.jpg","/articles/6094770/Massachusetts/Advocates-urge-expansion-of-state-climate-bank-to-leverage-private-capital-as-federal-funding-wobbles","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6094770-b150e9f6c93cc3c1ab67b184e12bb393/orig.mp4?Expires=1771195036&Signature=owN67jaTTFoJgCy-PibnLF5rXdF0ot49XqmPEH2nc-JFv4-MoeHtIpiSMNSs3zXnhSxDpNe8kXXt3kOCD43vhD4szRG0jMUlYPKN~05SS0G4tlfULHZel5eS6Ei4ut6QQ1eHmn8g1iyss9H2a3z1VtwkECPJowb2eYjS6BT7EEWGyoTU2r3t-aVOHvFEEn6ZoiVrd4HNXJP7lR03Ls3M18ed4sSWs5Cr3VBTbbPEGIM4UrdFg8cw25i9zbDXfQQpG-~ctQVTxPgiUxjpUiwFg6tjZS-qRv3N2zV4T1E6BX23S-kq9IpHkJSN4ppwbR2F8KEf-1ZBC0c~Zj4h2sGDOQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sherry Morgan of Elders Climate Action and other witnesses told the committee that private capital channeled through green or climate banks offers a scalable way to replace or stretch dwindling federal support.

Morgan described the Connecticut Green Bank's record and said an expanded Massachusetts Climate Bank could act as a hub using deposits, bond proceeds and other programmed funds to leverage private investment for community-level climate projects. She said proposals under discussion would permit a state-backed financial institution to accept a range of public and private deposits, issue bonds, and operate financial products that draw private capital to public-interest projects.

Catherine Antos of EEA confirmed the administration is talking with other states about different green-bank models and is in conversation with the Massachusetts Community Climate Bank to evaluate expansion options that would “stretch state investments.” Senators and witnesses discussed details to consider in legislation, such as eligible revenue sources, allowable financial products, governance, and how to connect a central hub to sector-specific “spokes” (for example, housing or municipal funds).

Advocates said a climate bank could be designed to catalyze projects in underserved communities and to provide interim financing where federal reimbursements have been paused. Witnesses recommended lawmakers consider legislative language that preserves state oversight while enabling private investment and public–private co-investment structures.","Nonprofit and elder-advocate witnesses urged the Senate to expand Massachusetts' Community Climate Bank model — proposing a state-backed climate bank to attract private capital, leverage public appropriations and scale financing for resilience and decarbonization projects.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6094775,"Offshore-wind pause and leasing review stall New England projects beyond initial builds, experts say",322,3213000,3535000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2841955-8888e8b53c55bb9b4678f264e66088cc&start=3213&end=3535","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2841955-8888e8b53c55bb9b4678f264e66088cc/thumbnail_3213000.jpg","/articles/6094775/Massachusetts/Offshore-wind-pause-and-leasing-review-stall-New-England-projects-beyond-initial-builds-experts-say","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6094775-bd2827ab63928c3c278df561dbfd53f0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771195037&Signature=HPwdvyUNH1jMiWtkweyQzf8x9YD8~NTRtZUJ8zLoJvxasX3wKlAr9gRmklIcTs2XdbtTeE2Rtj8O9mnPPMY1qPshC3USSY7ANihHVBZ34ZIF~8P~-oHhkC6q2vGi6wdmiDe8aVJjESsBcJIhLcKQ8I3XXO4HZym1jkbgL2hEwOkeqPA-QUyzAlxU8uv3BCZ1ILgIDWxfJi-HmBRHwosDkNGNlPM9cCATwI7f86Hmcc2pUs6cyZDxLUC5~qga8zovOWbQxr9x1aNK5fnKb6wlt1AmBqXn5kTm63myzI-e5zWgsDQiyuSmMuCm8HngIZ7CZ6PXaP36BoYARnOEdHC1xQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Kel Wolska, offshore wind director at the Environmental League of Massachusetts, told the committee that an executive order withdrawing federal waters from leasing consideration and pausing permitting has sent negative market signals that are delaying project construction and contract negotiations.

Wolska said existing leases are not automatically voided but that the Department of the Interior’s comprehensive review of leasing and permitting could lead to amendments or terminations. He cited recent litigation and precedent from New Jersey and said that petitioners in Massachusetts (for example, a Nantucket group) have already used earlier litigation as the basis to challenge permits for projects developed off the New England coast, which in turn has delayed negotiations between states and developers.

Wolska described the immediate practical outcome: only Block Island Wind (already operational), Vineyard Wind 1 and Revolution Wind are likely to reach commercial operation by 2030 — together under 2 gigawatts — leaving the Commonwealth short of its stated 5.6 GW offshore-wind goal. He urged continued state investment in ports, transmission and a host-community incentives program so that Massachusetts can move quickly if federal policy changes.

Senators and witnesses discussed the importance of sustained public education to counter misinformation and the need to accelerate port and transmission permitting and construction at the state level to reduce exposure to federal delays. The Environmental League recommended continued support for legislation such as S.2279 (host-community incentives) and full funding for the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center to sustain supply-chain and port readiness.","Environmental League and industry advocates warned senators that the administration's leasing pause and permit review have delayed negotiations and reduced the near-term offshore-wind pipeline for Massachusetts, likely leaving less than half of the state's 5.6 GW target online by 2030.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6094779,"MassDOT says NEVI work continues but discretionary EV grants are on hold",188,1691000,1879000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2841955-8888e8b53c55bb9b4678f264e66088cc&start=1691&end=1879","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2841955-8888e8b53c55bb9b4678f264e66088cc/thumbnail_1691000.jpg","/articles/6094779/Massachusetts/MassDOT-says-NEVI-work-continues-but-discretionary-EV-grants-are-on-hold","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6094779-b636554fc6ed7ba513bdd10b1c18159f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771195037&Signature=l0JY~huub00NPWPRG7FlNRVTMY-lMmBII5ajfxvPH7HWfkGwTkNHhjd0-uMV6QkGcdro64oJi9etrLRW5g72P0M4APqNCcKwj5zY-rfjBzOURuuWwLSWk4JvsqI-cWgFdHlra0ekxwdZBlsjtiBP~3JiN2eJF9GE6zzHErfLJmK4LhnaBHOgyXO8AflhWTUbnwZjCHfBlCud07lRDbgMGMEFLnzioq~yaMi8LFs5VUeXvTttnUqRAaBMXk-5XvfY2DtBSG7l2r~-v5tUFXJuOgwxUa39Mzt6Wy1o~PYW1RFSLKbnCQj0uqy3Xhq5nyx-7CSU3~sioTom4B9C~3IE9A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","MassDOT highway division Director of Strategic Initiatives Andy Paul updated the committee on electric vehicle infrastructure federal funds and said Massachusetts has obligated roughly $50,000,000 under the NEVI program and is proceeding with four active contracts.

Paul said an additional $13,500,000 tied to federal fiscal year 2026 remains unobligated and a discretionary $14,400,000 CFI award announced in January is currently on hold; federal kickoff meetings were canceled and subsequent communications from federal officials have been limited. He told senators the federal hold has not disrupted work already covered by NEVI obligations and that the Federal Highway Administration's February 6 guidance allowed reimbursement for existing obligations “in order to not disrupt current financial commitments.”

On questions about project timing and procurement, Paul said MassDOT had not started CFI procurements before the pause and therefore has no vendor contract obligations tied to those discretionary dollars. He said NEVI-funded work along highways can continue to the extent obligations have already been made and that MassDOT is working with three private developers to deliver reliable fast-charging with contractual uptime requirements (97% uptime for five years) and a commercial horizon beyond the minimum five-year federal requirement.

Senators asked about other charging plans: MassDOT described separate procurement for service plazas on the Massachusetts Turnpike that bundles restaurants, retail and charging requirements into a single vendor contract for approximately 18–19 plazas (including locations in Newton, Lexington, Bridgewater, Beverly, Plymouth and Barnstable). Paul said the service-plaza procurement is distinct from NEVI and will include minimum operational and performance metrics; that contract is not a NEVI activity and is structured to create a revenue-generating public–private partnership rather than leaving the state responsible for profit-and-loss.

MassDOT and committee members discussed state alternatives if federal funds are delayed, including leveraging state right-of-way for solar and heat-pump deployment and using utility make-ready programs and ARPA funds for charging infrastructure. The department said it will continue pressing federal partners for clarity and proceed where obligations and reimbursements are already in place.

The committee asked MassDOT to provide an inventory of unobligated NEVI dollars, the status of any procurement, and a timeline for service-plaza procurement to help the legislature assess contingency funding needs.","MassDOT told a Senate committee that formula NEVI highway charging work is proceeding with about $50 million already obligated, but discretionary Charging and Fueling Infrastructure awards and some unobligated NEVI funds remain on hold pending federal guidance, creating uncertainty for community charging plans.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6094784,"Mass. officials say court wins restored most federal climate funds but uncertainty remains",2627,391000,3018000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2841955-8888e8b53c55bb9b4678f264e66088cc&start=391&end=3018","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2841955-8888e8b53c55bb9b4678f264e66088cc/thumbnail_391000.jpg","/articles/6094784/Massachusetts/Mass-officials-say-court-wins-restored-most-federal-climate-funds-but-uncertainty-remains","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6094784-0d07f47515891632a71ced803d5f7c87/orig.mp4?Expires=1771195037&Signature=THji0oJ6ClzIk8FBepQDguifcgJFMNxX0bp8W2YEoz9sON3OmuSStbcrA~3Q2wBsrs1X3J079RPpWTTNAwv5LfcuTp9WmrLH7fsmDersvkvkPWz42pbhN8MumK8GIVQviXyRp4UoL3vl9lLOLe4MDX1RaAUyKsPYo56UXUyPmWnLZFGncuRGoTwwY2GTyvi6gUOnnvXMudNDiW6r9FX95UmAmILNqC0clRGNekBBX6Y6UN8a9oOvSMEbBznhxy~qMYlEMw~XCtNkslvN-AKTMdntrnknPduneh9kM6ECDUKpYLrDHLI5DhJiZO6nqrDhdvjwBnGT6wpKj5oLs1A49g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senator Creem convened the hearing to assess how changes in federal policy have affected Massachusetts' climate programs and what the state can do to keep projects moving.

The executive branch and the attorney general said a court order has largely ended the federal funding freeze, but agency witnesses described ongoing obstacles — agency-initiated manual reviews, stop-work notices and contract uncertainty — that continue to threaten project timelines and local partners.

Undersecretary Catherine Antos of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs said EEA and its agencies have traced more than $1.1 billion in federal climate awards that experienced some level of disruption since January, including temporarily suspended grants that have since been restored. She said the secretariat worked with the attorney general's office to restore access “for most of these grants,” and named specific awards at risk: a conditional $389,000,000 Grid Innovation Program award for the Power Up New England substation upgrades and a $378,000 FEMA High Hazard Potential Dam Program reimbursement that FEMA placed on hold during a new manual-review process. Antos said the DEP also faced a temporary hold on more than $3,000,000 in Diesel Emissions Reduction Act formula funding and cited a $156,000,000 EPA award to the state Department of Energy Resources for Solar for All as an example of an innovative, low-income program that had been disrupted before access was restored.

Turner Smith, Deputy Chief of the Attorney General's Energy and Environment Bureau, told senators the AG's office led a multistate suit that won a preliminary injunction blocking a categorical federal funding freeze. “Through the temporary restraining order and the preliminary injunction, funds are once again available,” Smith said, and the first circuit recently rejected the administration's stay request. Smith and colleagues said the office is monitoring and litigating a variety of federal administrative rollbacks — from efforts to rescind the EPA’s endangerment finding to actions affecting vehicle and power-plant standards — and that litigation will continue to be a principal tool in defending federal climate rules and funds.

Attorney General staff emphasized, however, that litigation is not an absolute fix. Julia Jonas Day and Amy Laura Khan said agencies are still using administrative tactics — terminations, stop-work orders and manual review protocols — that are not uniformly covered by the injunction and that continue to cause delays for municipalities, nonprofits and private partners. Amy Laura Khan described three motions to enforce court orders filed by the AG’s office to address remaining holdbacks, including FEMA reimbursements for dam projects.

Senators pressed for concrete answers about the fiscal exposure the state faces if federal dollars are lost. Antos told the committee that while the state cannot replace a gap on the order of $1.1 billion with state-only resources, the administration will seek to stretch state resources (including an environmental bond) and scale programs such as the Massachusetts Community Climate Bank and other financing mechanisms.

The hearing closed with senators asking agencies to continue frequent coordination, to provide the committee with lists of at-risk awards and recipients, and to propose state contingencies for the environmental bond and budget planning process. Witnesses from nonprofit and municipal partners described operational impacts from payment suspensions and urged expedited state-level support where federal money is no longer reliably available.

Massachusetts law still requires the Commonwealth to meet its statutory greenhouse gas targets; agency witnesses said that requirement has not changed and that litigation and state policy must proceed in parallel.

Massachusetts officials said they will continue to litigate, pursue federal grants where possible, and use state resources and bond financing to fill critical gaps while monitoring a rapidly changing federal regulatory landscape.","State officials and the attorney general told a Senate committee that a federal court order restored access to most Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Act climate grants, but manual reviews, terminations and other tactics are still delaying some awards and creating operational risk for state agencies and local partners.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Nonprofits and watershed groups say suspended federal payments slowed resilience projects and strained partners

Advocates urge expansion of state climate bank to leverage private capital as federal funding wobbles

Offshore-wind pause and leasing review stall New England projects beyond initial builds, experts say

MassDOT says NEVI work continues but discretionary EV grants are on hold

Mass. officials say court wins restored most federal climate funds but uncertainty remains