New England Good News #3 - CubeSat
Plus: NH childcare and safety cuts, ME clean energy, VT housing and tech, MA transit upgrades, RI roads and ocean tech, CT housing and jobs, and a Dartmouth space launch
Welcome to the Good News in New England Newsletter, part of Granite Goodness. We share optimistic stories of progress, innovation, and problem solving from across New England— proudly hosted in the Granite State.
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NOTE FROM ANDY
Lots happening here at Granite Goodness! We’ve just gone on two more podcasts—
& It’s Freitag. Don’t miss our interview dropping Tues with Gov. Kelly Ayotte. We’re also planning the first live show, so stay tuned for details on that!Another important announcement— starting next week, I will be rolling out statewide newsletters for each state in New England. I’ll send a more formal email about this, but you can adjust your subscription preferences if you’d like to to receive any of these here.
IN THIS EDITION
NH saves money from safe workplaces and expands childcare, ME ramps up renewables, VT invests in housing and tech, MA funds major transit upgrades, RI makes road repairs permanent, and CT boosts housing and youth jobs. Plus, Dartmouth launches a CubeSat with NASA.
SPONSOR
A big thank you to my friend Jesse Lore and the team at Green Wave Electric Vehicles for sponsoring this newsletter.
EVs are cleaner, quieter, easier on the wallet, and a lot more fun to drive. With the $4,000 used EV tax credit ending this September, now is the perfect time to make the switch. Jesse and his crew don’t just sell cars. They help people find the right fit and feel part of a community! Plus, they plant 100 trees for every EV purchased. As Jesse puts it best:
“Save the planet with a really cool car at Green Wave.”
Learn more about Jesse and Green Wave on episode #40 of Granite Goodness.
And now please enjoy your regular dose of Granite Goodness : )
-Andy
GRANITE GREENERY - Sustainability & Environment
UNH Sustainability Institute strengthens municipal resilience network
A $100,000 Barr Foundation grant will expand the New England Municipal Sustainability Network, enabling nearly 40 cities and towns to collaborate on climate, public health and clean‑energy projects while engaging students in applied research. - University of NH Sustainability Institute
*Shout out to Granite Goodness alums Fiona Wilson and Dovev Levine for this amazing achievement!
Massachusetts ramps up solar savings with new programs
New solar programs launched in June 2025 will provide $300 million in annual savings and benefits, speed up solar installations, reduce charges and create a mitigation fund for conservation land. - Mass.gov
Connecticut secures long‑term funding for land conservation and farmland access
The 2025 legislative session authorized $10 million per year for the Open Space and Watershed Acquisition Program, created a $10 million farmland access fund and increased Community Investment Act contributions to ensure lasting investments in conservation and climate resilience. - Connecticut Land Conservation Council
Vermont invests in flood + housing resilience
Vermont secured about $68 million in federal community development block grants to help towns damaged by 2023 flooding rebuild stronger infrastructure and relocate housing away from floodplains. - wcax.com
GRANITE GRIT - Building & Infrastructure
Build for CT supporting thousands of new housing units
Connecticut’s $200 million Build for CT program is adding 2,700 apartments, including hundreds at below-market rents, sparking development from Bridgeport to Haddam. The initiative is drawing new builders and tackling the state’s housing shortage head-on. - CT Insider
Northern Border Commission awards $53.9 million for infrastructure projects across New England
The Northern Border Regional Commission just announced a record $53.9 million in grants to boost economic development and upgrade infrastructure across Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. From new dental clinics and wastewater plants to trails, bridges, and community centers, these 69 projects will spark jobs, housing, and vitality in rural communities across the region. - Northern Border Regional Commission
Massachusetts adopts an $18.5 billion five‑year transportation plan
Massachusetts just approved an $18.5 billion, five-year transportation plan that will fund everything from new MBTA vehicles and West-East Rail to major bridge replacements and bike-pedestrian trails. The investments aim to create a more connected, equitable state by improving transit, roads, airports, and local infrastructure across the Commonwealth. - Mass.gov
Rhode Island restores local road and bridge program and awards new grants
Rhode Island has made RhodeRestore a permanent program, unlocking $6.5 million in new funding to repair local roads and bridges across all 39 cities and towns. Since its 2023 launch, RhodeRestore has already fueled nearly 1,100 projects and $110 million in improvements, making commutes safer, boosting local economies, and revitalizing communities statewide. - Office of Governor Dan McKee
GRANITE GROWTH - Economy & Workforce
Safer workplaces saves NH money for 14th year in a row
New Hampshire approved a 6.1% cut to workers’ compensation rates for 2026, the 14th straight annual decrease. The change saves businesses money, protects workers, and highlights long-term progress in safety, healthcare, and the state’s economy. - NH Insurance Dept
Vermont pilots regional workforce expansion partnerships
The Vermont Department of Labor is launching collaborative partnerships in the Northeast Kingdom and Addison County to connect employers, educators and partners, address workforce shortages in manufacturing and healthcare and provide targeted support to underemployed populations. – VT Department of Labor
Hartford region funds youth employment and learning opportunities
This summer, more than 1,200 young people in North Central Connecticut (800 in Hartford alone) are gaining paid job experience and career training through the Summer Youth Employment and Learning Program. - Hartford Foundation
Vermont offers matching grants to commercialize cutting‑edge technologies
Vermont is offering Elevate Vermont matching grants of up to $50,000 to help tech startups and small companies bring new innovations to market. The program supports businesses with federal Small Business Innovation Research or Small Business Technology Transfer awards, funding costs like marketing, research, and sales development to strengthen Vermont’s innovation economy. – VT Department of Economic Development
GRANITE GADGETS - Science & Innovation
MassVentures backs 26 startups to commercialize deep‑tech innovations
The SBIR Targeted Technologies (START) program awarded $4.5 million in grants to 26 Massachusetts startups in fields such as climate tech, biotech, advanced materials and quantum computing, helping to convert federally funded research into businesses and jobs. - MassVentures
Maine to build a state‑of‑the‑art life sciences incubator
A $2.7 million grant program through the Maine Technology Institute will establish a life‑sciences incubator that supports emerging companies, promotes research and entrepreneurship and enhances a sector already contributing about $2.3 billion to the state’s economy. - Office of Governor Janet Mills
Rhode Island invests $9.7 million in ocean‑technology innovation campuses
The McKee Administration’s Innovation Campus initiative funds a Blue Robotics Lab in Newport and an Ocean Technology Innovation Center at the URI Bay Campus, leveraging public–private partnerships to commercialize undersea robots and create an estimated 425 jobs over a decade. – RI Commerce Corporation
Dartmouth launches first CubeSat with NASA to unlock secrets of Earth’s radiation belts
Dartmouth researchers just launched their first CubeSat mission with NASA, sending a shoebox-sized satellite into orbit to study how high-energy particles escape Earth’s Van Allen radiation belts. Led by physics professor Robyn Millan, the project will deliver groundbreaking data that protects satellites and deepens our understanding of the magnetic shield that makes life on Earth possible. - Dartmouth
GRANITE GRATITUDE - Nonprofits & Public Sector
Vermont expands Money Follows the Person assistance to help people leave care facilities
The state increased one‑time assistance from $2,500 to $9,000 for older adults and people with disabilities moving out of hospitals or nursing homes, covering home modifications, equipment, security deposits and transportation so they can live independently. – Vermont Public
Maine trains social workers to tackle youth mental‑health crisis
The University of Maine, supported by the John T. Gorman Foundation, launched a program to train graduate students in the evidence‑based MATCH therapy; up to 30 students will treat nearly 100 youths, expanding the state’s behavioral‑health workforce. – UMaine News
Connecticut launches Early Start CT universal childcare endowment
Connecticut launched Early Start CT, a universal childcare endowment that will cover pre-K costs for low-income families and expand to those earning up to $100,000 by 2027. - WSHU
New Hampshire child‑care scholarship enrollment surges as state invests in workforce
More than 5,000 children are now enrolled in the state–federal Child Care Scholarship Program after expanded eligibility; families pay little or nothing for care, and lawmakers have allocated $15 million in one‑time funds for bonuses and benefits to support child‑care workers. - NH Bulletin
That’s it for this edition of the Good News in New England Newsletter! We also post on Instagram, Linkedin, and Facebook. Be sure to check out our other newsletters covering New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut, Rhode Island, or the people behind these stories on our podcast. You can customize what you receive from us here.
Hungry for other stories of progress, innovation, and good news beyond the borders of New England? Check out our friends at
or The Progress Network.If you are interested in sponsoring this newsletter or partnering with us, please reach out at hello@granitegoodness.com.
-Andy
Well done- lots of good things happening! Looking forward to watching your interview with Governor Ayotte. Thank you!