MESM Academy Celebrates its First-Year
By Samikshya Dhami, Clean Energy and Climate Planner I; Julia Nassar, Senior Clean Energy & Climate Planner
August 29, 2026 - On July 29, municipal energy and sustainability staff from more than 20 municipalities gathered at the UMass Lowell Rist Institute for Sustainability and Energy to celebrate the completion of the first year ofMunicipal Energy and Sustainability Managers (MESM) Academy.
The MESM Academy is a no-cost training program for municipal energy and sustainability staff across the Commonwealth. It offers technical training, professional development, and peer learning opportunities to advance local clean energy initiatives in their communities. The Academy is generously funded by the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC), with program support from Eversource, National Grid, the Merrimack Valley Planning Council (MVPC), and Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER).
The inaugural cohort consisted of 28 municipal energy managers recently hired through the 2025 Mass Save Municipal Energy Manager Grants and eight new sustainability staff in other communities. In total, the cohortrepresented 39 municipalities and three regional planning agencies across the state.
Since launching in September 2025, the MESM Academy participants:
- Attended 20 technical trainings on navigating essential municipal and state processes and applying technical skills to plan and implement decarbonization projects.
- Built community through 11 Peer Learning Network meetings, where the cohort gathered, reflected on the trainings, and discussed solutions to shared challenges.
- Received additional support from the project team through 7 office hours, 2 site visits, and connections to other resources.
To celebrate the conclusion of the MESM Academy’s first cohort, MAPC and its partners hosted a Celebration & Reflection. The event kicked off with welcoming remarks by Lizzi Weyant, MAPC Executive Director,followed by Ruairi O’Mahony, Associate Vice Chancellor for Sustainability and Enterprise Development at the Rist Institute. Ben Downing, CEO of MassCEC, delivered the keynote address, emphasizing the criticality and value of these positions in advancing the Commonwealth’s climate and energy goals.
MESM Academy’s First-Year Accomplishments
For many municipalities, this was the first time their community had a dedicated energy manager role. The event recognized and celebrated the early impact of this work, as energy managers demonstrated the value of dedicated local capacity. Over the course of the year, the Mass Save energy managers have:
- Submitted 68 grant applications and secured $15.6 million in grant funding (with additional awards pending)
- Advanced more than 60 Comprehensive Building Assessments, Portfolio Prioritization Plans, and scoping studies that are underway or completed
- Contributed to approximately 3.5 million gross kWh of electricity savings, approximately 101k gross therms of natural gas savings through projects that are under construction and completed.
The event also included a panel discussion featuring the following Mass Save municipal energy managers: Kai Mueller (Randolph and Milton), Rebecca Ansolabehere (Maynard), Dele Akinwolemiwa (Lynn), and William Lefabrve (Weston & Sampson, supporting Fairhaven, Anthol, Royalston, North Brookfield, and Berlin). The panelists shared reflections from their first years, including key accomplishments, challenges, and lessons learned. They shared practical advice and strategies for peers, such as how to prioritize their time when in a part-time position and/or working with multiple communities.
Looking forward
The MESM Academy will train two additional cohorts, with the next cohort kicking off this October. Though the first cohort has concluded, MESM Academy “alumni” will continue to have access to all MESM Academy services, including future training sessions, peer learning meetings, and office hours.
The MESM Academy’s second year will follow a structure and curriculum similar to the first year, designed to equip participants with the knowledge and skills they need for a municipal energy management role in Massachusetts.
While the live trainings are limited to MESM Academy participants, sessions are recorded and materials are publicly available on the MESM Academy website.