Massachusetts will receive an estimated $8.7 billion

Banker & Tradesman commented about the funds Massachusetts is expected to receive ---



Massachusetts also is in a better position than many states to take advantage of money intended to boost renewable energy production, Kirwan said. The state has made a push to encourage solar, wind and biofuels industries Kirwan said.

The same is true, she said, for stimulus-funded grants distributed through the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, since Massachusetts has launched a $1 billion, 10-year life science initiative.

While much of the federal money will help pay for everything from clean energy projects to highway construction, cities and towns hoping to use some of the money to build new schools are out of luck.

There's no provision in the federal law that allows stimulus money to be spent on new school construction, although some money could be spent on making energy efficient improvements to government buildings including schools, said Undersecretary of Administration and Finance Jay Gonzalez.