The Municipal Energy Resilience Program (MERC), established by legislation in 2022, is currently in a critical phase of application processing, with a total funding allocation of $45 million aimed at enhancing energy efficiency in municipal buildings. The program consists of three main components designed to support municipalities in their energy initiatives.

The first component offers non-competitive mini grants of $4,000 to municipalities for community capacity building, which can be utilized for educational outreach and other related activities. In the latest round, nine municipalities in the region successfully applied for these grants, collectively receiving $36,000. Notable uses of the funding included public events such as the Arlington Energy Committee's Good Winds Energy Fair and a forum hosted by the Sunderland Energy Committee.

The second component involves free energy assessments for municipal buildings. A total of 13 municipalities applied for these assessments, covering 28 buildings, with 27 receiving approval. The assessments are categorized into two levels: six municipalities received level 2 assessments, while 21 received level 1 assessments.

The final component of MERC allows municipalities that completed the free assessments to apply for up to $500,000 to implement the recommendations outlined in their assessment reports. This phase is currently underway, indicating a proactive approach by local governments to improve energy efficiency and resilience in their operations.

Overall, MERC is positioned as a significant initiative to bolster energy efficiency across municipalities, with active participation and funding already making an impact in the region.