Cayuga County legislators voted to authorize the chair to sign a utility-release form allowing consultants to collect county utility data and begin an energy and infrastructure audit of county-owned buildings.

Consultant Chris Tapp of Steven Smart Infrastructure told the Legislature that one of the county’s largest controllable expenses is energy usage in county facilities and that an audit can reveal opportunities to combine efficiency upgrades and incentives to pay for improvements. “Our goal, simply stated, is to work with the county … to perform an energy and infrastructure audit,” Tapp said. He estimated a two- to three-month timeline to develop initial findings after the consultants receive utility releases and access to facilities.

The resolution authorized the chair to sign a release so consultants could work with county staff and utilities. The county also heard that potential funding sources include utility incentives, NYSERDA programs and federal Inflation Reduction Act dollars available through 2026. Consultants said typical gross savings found in similar audits averaged about 33%, though net present-value calculations vary by project mix.

Board members asked whether the preliminary audit would cost the county; consultants said the initial audit would not require a county contract commitment and would not obligate the county to pursue work with any firm. If the county chose to pursue projects, the consultants said the county could issue a request for qualifications and competitively select vendors.

Ending: The Legislature approved the measure and directed staff to coordinate next steps with the consultants and the county manager; the consultants offered to present findings to the full Legislature after the initial audit is complete.