Jonathan Schrag, deputy climate chief in the Office of Climate Innovation and Resilience, speaks about federal funding opportunities for clean energy.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Berkshires were the Healey-Driscoll administration's first stop in federal funds outreach.

On Monday, the Federal Funds and Infrastructure Office held a community roadshow at the Berkshire Innovation Center.  At the first of 12 statewide sessions, attendees were briefed on the office's effort to support communities in leveraging monies from the federal government.

The state has brought in nearly $9 billion in federal dollars is year and Berkshire County, rich in collaboration but not always funding, wants to ensure its share of the pot.

"When Governor [Maura] Healey came into office last January, one of her day one commitments was to ensure that we were being strategic and aggressive and leaving no stone unturned in terms of making sure that we seize these opportunities and direct new resources to committees all across Massachusetts," said Quentin Palfrey, director of federal funds and infrastructure.

"The way that she thought about pulling this together was in the first instance, through an executive order. So she signed an executive order, she created a new whole-of-government effort that was focused on leveraging these new federal resources to accomplish a really ambitious set of priorities across the administration."

He identified the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the American Rescue Plan Act as a "really extraordinary moment in American History" for investing in infrastructure. Collectively, these represent trillions of dollars.

The county saw nearly $6 million in federal funds, including $4.67 million to the Berkshire Regional Transit Authority through the Low or No Emissions Grant Program for hybrid buses; nearly $199,000 to the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission; and more than $310,000 for Pittsfield in Safe Streets and Roads for All funding; and another $750,700 to North Adams through the Reconnecting Communities Pilot program for rural planning.

The newly created office consistently heard that communities want to bring in federal funds but struggle with jargon, various silos, overwhelming nuances, and a lack of resources to match the applications.