Climate Rising De-Risking Climate Tech: Inside the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center with Galen Nelson
Nov 12, 2025
Galen Nelson, Chief Climate Officer at the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, shares his journey in climate innovation. He highlights how MassCEC accelerates clean tech through grants and strategic investments to tackle market failures. Galen discusses exciting projects like low-carbon cement and advanced glazing technologies. The conversation also covers how MassCEC adapts to shifting federal policies and the importance of a unique public-private model in fostering innovation and resilience in the climate sector.
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From Carpentry To Clean Energy Leadership
- Galen described his path from green building and carpentry into public service and MassCEC leadership.
- He used on-the-ground building experience to shape early high-performance building programs at the state level.
A Rare State Clean-Energy Economic Agency
- MassCEC is a rare state-level, dedicated clean energy economic development agency created in 2008.
- Its broad statutory mandate and quasi-public structure let it use grants, equity, and special procurement tools to support climate tech.
Quasi-Public Structure Enables Risky Support
- MassCEC operates as a public instrumentality with extra authorities like broader procurement and protection of confidential business data.
- Those powers enable early-stage investments that a typical state agency couldn't safely make.