WHO WE ARE
The Building Electrification Accelerator is a nonprofit, no-cost network with the mission of accelerating equitable building decarbonization in Massachusetts via municipal action.
BEA network participants seek to advance the design, implementation, and replication of equity-focused local building electrification policies and programs.
The BEA supports local efforts by connecting participants with resources, model programs, funding, and one another.
WHY NOW?
To meet our state and global climate goals, we must transition away from our reliance on fossil fuels in all sectors.
Currently for the buildings sector, this transition is moving community-by-community, door-by-door, and boiler-by-boiler, with each building type and appliance costly, complex, and deeply personal to retrofit. Without deliberate planning, organization, and support to decarbonize buildings, Massachusetts communities will fail to meet their climate goals or meet them in ways that are profoundly inequitable.
Left to the current trajectory, wealthy communities with the capacity and desire to transition away from fossil fuels will be increasingly future-ready – with gleaming net zero schools and cozy passive house homes – while under-resourced communities will increasingly bear the costs and health burdens of failing, expensive fossil fuel systems.
The BEA serves as a convenor and resource provider. We create and curate tools and support municipalities in identifying trusted partners and supporters. Our desired impact from our work is that it leads to an ever-increasing number of building retrofits and all-electric new construction projects across the state, with a particular focus on benefitting low- and moderate-income residents and environmental justice community members.
WHAT THE BEA OFFERS
The BEA brings together the Massachusetts building electrification community, connecting participants with resources, funding, and model programs. We foster collaboration across the many organizations, agencies, and municipalities working in the building electrification space to advance local efforts. Our work includes:
- Supporting local initiatives, including no-cost help with research, grant-writing, program design, and resource identification;
- Facilitating partnerships and knowledge-sharing across network participants;
- Keeping participants informed on policy changes impacting building electrification;
- Sending weekly newsletters and hosting regular events, including workshops, a retrofits working group, and a dedicated working group for municipal staff.