De-Risking Climate Tech: Inside the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center with Galen Nelson

Galen Nelson, Chief Climate Officer at the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) explains how the state is helping accelerate climate innovation through early-stage grants, equity investments, and infrastructure support. Galen outlines how MassCEC targets “market failures” where private investors hesitate—such as pilot and demonstration projects—and how these public investments help attract follow-on capital, inform policy, and build economic resilience. Galen shares examples across climate tech verticals including energy efficiency, carbon-intensive materials like cement, and urban heat resilience. He also discusses how MassCEC is responding to the shifting federal policy landscape, its new authority to fund climate adaptation technologies, and how the agency’s public-private model balances innovation with accountability.