This blog post explains a recent announcement from Governor Maura Healey’s administration awarding nearly $30 million in climate resilience grants across Massachusetts. It focuses on how those funds will help 54 communities prepare for extreme weather.
I summarize the Cape Cod recipients and describe the types of projects funded — from pond restoration to microgrids and Tribal planning. I also offer practical context based on my 30 years of experience working on coastal resilience and community-scale infrastructure.
Why these grants matter for Massachusetts communities
The Healey administration’s investment targets both near-term planning and early implementation work that can reduce future losses from flooding, heat, and other climate-driven hazards. By funding design, permitting and planning, the grants aim to remove early-stage obstacles that often delay resilience projects for years.
That is precisely the rationale Governor Healey highlighted when announcing the awards — that preparation is the most cost-effective protection against growing climate risks.
Cape Cod recipients: projects and intended outcomes
Several Cape Cod communities received grants tailored to local needs. These awards reflect a mix of nature-based restoration, energy resilience, and downtown flood planning.
These are necessary pieces of a holistic regional response to sea-level rise, coastal storms, and aging infrastructure.
Key Cape Cod grants include:
Technical and community implications
These grants are intentionally designed for early-stage work: design, permitting, planning, and acquisition. That focus helps communities clear the administrative and technical hurdles that commonly stall larger capital projects.
What communities should do next
Local leaders should use these funds to finalize engineering designs and secure permits. They should also engage residents — particularly marginalized and Tribal communities — in decision-making.
For projects like Pound Pond restoration, integrating ecological science with engineering ensures both flood-risk reduction and biodiversity benefits. For Rural Resilience Hubs, partnering with utilities and emergency managers will be essential to make microgrids dependable during outages.
Here is the source article for this story: State grant is helping Dennis and other Cape towns prepare for extreme weather