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Beacon Climate Innovations Newsletter Reviewing January 2026
| | | | | | Welcome to BCI’s Second Newsletter of 2026! The events of January and February across the country continue to remind us of the immense value and influence that comes with caring at the community level. It’s no secret that communities that care are prouder, safer, cleaner and more resilient. Communities know to care about community elements like traffic, crime prevention and playground safety, but do they know that they can have a transformative role in caring about their energy resources? The benefits in return are tremendous and can pay dividends for generations. This is where the work of Beacon Climate Innovations and its partners come into play. We’re helping communities realize local economic development, climate adaptation, carbon reduction and resilience opportunities through our ecosystem and digital platforms. Check out some of our activities along those lines.
| | | | | | | | Emerging Partnership with a NU’s Participatory Modelling and Data Science Team |
BCI is thrilled to be forging a partnership with Northeastern University’s Public Policy and Urban Affairs’ Participatory Modeling and Data Science Director, Dr. Moira Zellner, and her team to supercharge CEERUM’s evolution into an engaging, community-centric energy resource planning tool, accelerating its adoption across the Commonwealth. We will be applying the CEERUM Sandbox approach to combining resources and evolving the tool. The Sandbox enables participants to engage with CEERUM by assuming municipal and utility roles such as treasurer, general manager, planner, economic development lead, or sustainability officer, and collaboratively exploring scenarios and making informed decisions. We’ve recently started circulating a concept paper on our approach. Please reach out to rnayak@beaconclimate.com if you are interested in learning more. | | | | | | Massachusetts Municipal Association’s (MMA) Connect 351 Annual Conference | In late January, we kicked off our conference season at MMA’s Connect 351 at the Boston Convention Center, where we spent two days connecting with municipal leaders from across the Commonwealth. From our home base at Booth 201, we had the chance to demo our CEERUM Local Energy Resource Sandbox and discuss how we can support cities and towns in developing Community Resilience Hubs. It was a great opportunity to share our ecosystem with local decision-makers, and we look forward to turning those introductory conversations into lasting climate partnerships throughout 2026. | | | | | |
In January, Co-founder Rohit Nayak represented Beacon Climate Innovations at the APPA Joint Action Conference in Destin, Florida. At this executive-focused gathering, BCI showcased CEERUM, connecting with public power leaders and exploring the industry’s most pressing challenges—from AI-driven load growth to rising transmission costs. The conversations reinforced that the future of the grid lies in collaborative, data-driven planning and that CEERUM is positioned to support utilities’ planning and strategy teams as a trusted ecosystem partner.
| | | | | | ClimateTech Deployment Exchange @Greentown Labs |
On January 27th, we gathered at Greentown Labs for our inaugural ClimateTech Deployment Exchange, an event designed to equip MWBEs and CUBs with direct access to deployable climate technologies and the founders behind them. Led by Susie Shaw from our ALIGN Program, and in collaboration with MassCEC and Greentown Labs, the exchange centered MWBE and CUB leaders as critical drivers of climate deployment. Rather than a traditional investor-facing pitch session, five startups: QEA Tech, Embue, Durra Panel, Revvit, and Transaera, Inc., presented their solutions directly to the local contractors, developers, and community partners positioned to implement projects in neighborhoods across Massachusetts. The focus was practical: enabling partnerships, accelerating adoption, and building trusted pathways to real-world deployment.
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The day underscored the importance of centering equity in the clean energy transition—ensuring that the businesses rooted in our communities are equipped to participate in and benefit from climate innovation. We were especially honored by the presence of Mayor Moises Rodrigues and the City of Brockton, whose leadership reinforced the vital role municipalities play in advancing scalable, community-centered climate solutions.
Special thanks to Kira Nolan, Heather Marciniec from MassCEC, and Julia Travaglini, Head of Greentown Boston, for their leadership and partnership in making this exchange possible. | | | | | | | | On February 25th, BCI will partner with PowerOptions to deliver “RE&IC and How It Can Support Your Resilience Goals,” an exclusive webinar for PowerOptions members. The session will introduce the Resilient Energy & Infrastructure Consortium (RE&IC) and highlight how it connects climate-tech companies, project partners, and market stakeholders to accelerate deployable resilience and clean energy projects.
Interested in presenting your startup? Connect with us to learn about curated pitch opportunities.
| | | | | | Jessica LeClair is the Executive Director of Sustainable CT, where she has played a central role since the program’s launch in 2017. She helped design and grow the initiative in close collaboration with municipalities and partner organizations, advancing a statewide framework that supports communities in achieving sustainability, resilience, and climate goals. In her early roles, Jessica developed municipal engagement and support programming, led the Sustainable CT Fellowship, and cultivated strategic partnerships that expanded the program’s reach and impact. | | | |
Previously, Jessica contributed to Connecticut’s climate leadership efforts as a program manager at the Connecticut Institute for Resilience and Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) and as an environmental analyst at the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP), supporting initiatives to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and prepare municipalities for climate impacts. Her work demonstrates how strong municipal support, partnership-building, and clear climate frameworks accelerate local action— an approach that inspires Beacon Climate Innovations as we empower communities to advance resilient, equitable, and community-centered energy systems. | | | | We hope you've enjoyed this Newsletter edition! Have any questions or want to connect with us? | | | | | | | | | | | | Copyright (C) 2025 Beacon Climate Innovations. All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. Our mailing address is:
Beacon Climate Innovations 444 Somerville Ave Somerville, MA 02143-3260 USA | | | | | | | |
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