New England Good News #4 + LIVE SHOW!
In this edition: NH ends coal, ME expands resilience funds, VT adds EV chargers, MA boosts marine conservation, RI launches housing and cleanup grants, and CT invests in roads and an innovation hub.
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.
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NOTE FROM ANDY
Hello everyone! I hope to see many of you this week for Granite Goodness: LIVE!1
Get your tickets ASAP and use code GRANITE for a discount : )
Glad to be back today with more Granite Goodness! It has been a wild time these past few weeks. There are now over 1,000 of you! Subscriber growth is ticking up! If you haven’t introduced yourself to me yet— please do! Who are you? And what made you subscribe?
Thanks to you all Granite Goodness continues to grow and flourish. The enthusiasm from this community has garnered this project more recognition and awards (on top of already being named Young Person of the Year by Stay Work Play NH!)
We’re just getting started. Thanks to everyone for coming to our Sustainabili-brews meetup last week, and see you all Thursday at the Rex Theatre in Manchester! And stay tuned this week for our episode with Anthony Poore and Jo Porter from the NH Center for Justice & Equity.
SPONSOR
We’re often told that the current year is uniquely terrible, that everything is falling apart, and that hope for a better future is naive. Certainly, if you only pay attention to the worst headlines, it can feel that way.
But at Granite Goodness, we tell a different story.
Most big problems build slowly. By the time they reach the news cycle, it’s easy to present them in an overwhelming way.
Take a scan of today’s headlines and you might miss for example, that the United States has possibly entered the first period on record where every major cause of premature death (car crashes, murder, heart disease, overdoses) is declining together. Or that we are on track to achieve a historic low in the number of people imprisoned in America.
All of these problems were once presented as overwhelming— hopeless even— capturing the attention of many media cycles. But quietly over time, millions of people collaborated, innovated, and worked to make it better. If all one saw was the initial snapshot of a problem, you’d miss the world of possibility that came afterward.
That sense of possibility is why I am proud to have Grappone Automotive sponsor this newsletter.
If you’d met the Grappones in 1924, you’d only have a picture of some scrappy Italians who operate and run a small gas station in NH. Missing from that impression would be the thriving business and community ecosystem built from the family over the next century, and the thousands of people who helped to make that happen.
Amanda Grappone, their fourth generation steward, joined me earlier this year on Granite Goodness to share that journey.
In honor of their 100 years of service to New Hampshire, we also compiled 100 local stories of Granite Staters making the world better in 2025.
Thank you to Amanda and the entire Grappone family for their support of Granite Goodness and for being our presenting sponsor at Granite Goodness: LIVE!
And now, enjoy some good news : )
-Andy
GRANITE GREENERY - Sustainability & Environment
New England’s last coal plant switches off for good
In Bow, NH, the Merrimack Station coal plant has closed three years ahead of schedule, ending coal use across all of New England. The site will be reborn as a clean-energy hub with solar and battery storage, and advocates say the transition will meaningfully shrink the region’s carbon footprint. - NH Bulletin
Maine launches fund to protect climate-ready coastlines
Maine Coast Heritage Trust has opened applications for its new $4.1 million Climate Resilience Conservation Fund, offering grants for projects that protect land, buffer storms, and reduce flooding risks. It’s part of a broader effort to build a coastline that can weather the decades ahead. - Maine Coast Heritage Trust
Massachusetts puts new resources into marine recovery
Nearly $500,000 from the Massachusetts Environmental Trust will support work to protect endangered marine species, including whale and sea turtle rescue and habitat restoration. Every specialty license plate sold helps sustain the effort. - Mass.gov
Rhode Island backs small clean-ups with big community impact
Rhode Island’s latest round of Litter-Free microgrants is helping residents plant trees, create public art, and clean up local parks. With awards up to $2,000 and nearly 200 microgrants given since last year, the program shows how small interventions can scale to transform public spaces. - RI.gov
Connecticut rolls out a major resilience fund
Connecticut has launched a 2025 Climate Resilience Fund with more than $44 million available for towns and nonprofits. The goal: help communities design projects that defend against extreme weather, from energy resilience to nature-based protection. - CT.gov
GRANITE GRIT - Building & Infrastructure
Allenstown upgrades its wastewater plant to protect the Merrimack
Allenstown is beginning an $11 million overhaul of its wastewater facility, adding new clarifiers and modern systems that will send cleaner water into the Suncook and Merrimack Rivers. It’s a small town project with big downstream benefits, helping safeguard a watershed shared by nearly 200 New England communities. - Hoyle Tanner
Vermont expands its EV fast-charging spine
Vermont has secured nearly $16 million to build 50 to 60 fast-charging ports across the state. New stations in places like Randolph and Wilmington will help accelerate the shift to cleaner transportation. - VT Public
Augusta gets a new Western Avenue Bridge
MaineDOT has begun a $30 million rebuild of the Western Avenue Bridge, upgrading one of central Maine’s busiest corridors with safer lanes, new utilities, and smoother connections to I-95. It’s a practical infrastructure win that will make everyday travel easier for thousands of people moving through the capital. - Maine DOT
Rhode Island invests $120 million in new housing tools
Rhode Island’s housing bond programs are now underway, offering millions for infrastructure, planning, and supportive housing. It’s a major push to expand the state’s housing pipeline at multiple scales. - RI.gov
Connecticut boosts funding to help towns fix their roads
Connecticut is increasing its Town Aid Road grants by 33 percent, raising support to $80 million for the next two years. The investment will give every town the resources to repave streets, repair bridges, and strengthen local infrastructure, helping communities across the state build safer, smoother roads for years to come. - CT.gov
GRANITE GROWTH - Economy & Workforce
A new apprenticeship strengthens NH’s early-childhood workforce
A partnership across ApprenticeshipNH, River Valley Community College, and Head Start is launching a new apprenticeship model that blends 4,000 hours of paid work with coursework leading to a degree. It’s built to ease New Hampshire’s shortage of early-childhood educators. - Apprenticeship NH
Maine expands its cybersecurity talent pipeline
The University of Maine at Augusta has won a $200,000 federal grant to train new cybersecurity workers through micro-credentials, boot camps, and apprenticeships, with a goal of placing most participants in jobs within six months. - University of Maine
Vermont launches forgivable loans for trades careers
A new $3 million program in Vermont will fully cover tuition and licensing for high-demand trades like construction and mechanical fields. Graduates who work in-state can have their loans forgiven. - VT Student Assistance Corporation
Rhode Island invests in its farm and food future
RI Grown Week brought a wave of new grants totaling more than $575,000 to support farmers, school food literacy, specialty crops, and second-generation producers. It’s part of a growing effort to strengthen local food systems. - RI Dept. of Environemtnal Management
GRANITE GADGETS - Science & Innovation
A new innovation hub takes shape in New Haven
Connecticut is investing $50.5 million to jumpstart an innovation district in downtown New Haven. The funding will support a new innovation center, climate-resilient streetscapes, and facilities to accelerate quantum tech and life-science development. - CT.Gov
UVM’s new AI Fund sparks cross-campus experimentation
The University of Vermont has launched an AI Innovation Fund offering mini-grants and larger awards for workshops, research, and interdisciplinary projects. The goal is simple: help more people experiment with emerging tools. - University of Vermont
MIT’s tiny injectable antenna could change medical implants
MIT researchers have created a 200-micrometer magnetoelectric antenna that can wirelessly power deep-tissue implants. It generates more power than previous designs and could enable battery-free pacemakers and other micro-devices. - MIT
Quantum science gets a boost in Rhode Island
The University of Rhode Island has secured a five-year, $5 million NSF grant to expand quantum research, support students, and build a new dedicated lab, strengthening New England’s growing quantum corridor. - University of Rhode Island
UConn scientists develop rapid Alzheimer’s blood tests
Chemists at UConn have created two low-cost tests that detect Alzheimer’s-related microRNA markers using CRISPR technology. The approach could bring earlier, more accessible diagnosis to clinics. - University of Connecticut
GRANITE GRATITUDE - Nonprofits & Public Sector
Cambridge strengthens its safety net
Cambridge and the Cambridge Community Foundation are investing $500,000 in food pantries and grocery assistance for residents affected by the federal shutdown, helping ensure families and seniors have reliable access to food. - Cambridge Community Foundation
A historic gift fuels Saint Anselm’s next century
A $40 million gift from Robert and Beverly Grappone2 will support business innovation, the humanities, nursing, athletics, and student life at Saint Anselm College, marking the largest contribution in the school’s history. - Philanthropy News Digest
Rockefeller Fund invests in vibrant Vermont communities
The Laurance and Mary Rockefeller Fund is offering grants of $1,000 to $5,000 to support projects that strengthen nature, culture, and community well-being in Woodstock and neighboring towns. The program helps local groups bring new energy and possibility to central Vermont. - Common Good VT
Bangor opens a collaborative home for Maine’s nonprofits
Heart of Maine United Way has launched a first-of-its-kind nonprofit hub in Bangor, giving local organizations a shared space to meet, collaborate, and spark new ideas. Leaders say the center will strengthen partnerships across the region and help nonprofits work together in more creative, impactful ways. - Spectrum News
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 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.
See you Thursday for Granite Goodness: LIVE!3
A quick note on this— Congresswoman Goodlander cannot join us, so in her place we will have BIA President Mike Skelton, who leads the NH Housing Supply Coalition!
Another shoutout to the Grappone family!
If you, your friends, or family like to come to the show, but $$ is an issue, message or email me personally and I will take care of it.
Hey, great read as always. It's awesome to see this kind of positive data feed cutting tru all the online noise. Keep up the good work!