EcoAction Partners urges building electrification, expands weatherization and green-grant work in Ouray County

EcoAction Partners told the Ouray County Board of County Commissioners on May 7 that building energy use is the county’s largest source of greenhouse‑gas emissions and urged local leaders to prioritize building electrification, income‑qualified weatherization and small grants to retrofit older homes.

Kendra, a presenter from EcoAction Partners, said the group’s 2023 greenhouse‑gas inventory for the region shows building energy use accounts for 43% of emissions (25.4% residential and 16.8% commercial), transportation 31% (including about 6.9% from air travel), consumption‑based sources 24% and municipal operations about 1.9%.

EcoAction recommended a two‑track approach: adopt stronger energy codes for new construction and expand retrofit programs for existing housing. The group described an ongoing regional codes process led by Lotus Engineering and involving building‑department staff from three counties; EcoAction said a final regional code package will be drafted this summer and presented to local governments for adoption, but that individual jurisdictions may choose different amendments, such as all‑electric requirements, based on local circumstances.

The nonprofit also reviewed the CARE program, an income‑qualified weatherization service that offers free home energy audits and subsidized or fully funded efficiency upgrades for households at or below 80% of area median income and for clients of programs such as SNAP. CARE technicians perform blower‑door tests and recommend measures ranging from weather‑stripping to more substantial appliance or heating systems upgrades. Funding for CARE upgrades currently comes largely from local utilities named in the presentation, and EcoAction described strong participant testimonials about increased comfort and lower utility bills. EcoAction said the program has had limited uptake so far in Ouray County and requested help from county staff and community partners to reach eligible residents.

The presentation also described a planned regional expansion of a Telluride‑run “Green Grants” program. EcoAction said Telluride, Silverton and San Miguel County have dedicated pools (one stated pool was $90,000) and that EcoAction has applied for a matching Partners for Places grant; if awarded, the combined funds would pilot a Green Grants pool for Ouray County. Grants have typically ranged from about $5,000 to $10,000 to support building upgrades such as heat pumps, insulation, window and door replacement or community projects such as commercial composting. EcoAction emphasized that grants are used in combination with other incentives—examples cited included SMPA rebates and state/federal incentives—so projects stack multiple funding sources.

EcoAction also said it is working with the state on restarting a plastic‑film recycling pickup program that will use existing shipping routes to avoid extra truck trips. The group reported one initial pickup of more than 200 pounds of collected plastic film in Telluride and said it is pursuing small, public drop‑off boxes in town centers and a larger shipping container location at the county transfer station if local partners can provide space.

Commissioners and staff discussed several outreach channels EcoAction could use to reach eligible residents, including human services (LEAP lists), schools and after‑school programs, chambers of commerce and local nonprofits that serve seniors and veterans. County staff offered the county PIO’s assistance in distributing materials and encouraged EcoAction to attend community events such as music in the park, river festivals and local rodeos. EcoAction also said a discounted energy‑audit offer for any income level is available now through a combination of SMPA and Colorado Energy Office subsidies; the nonprofit encouraged residents to take advantage of the lower‑cost audits even if they do not yet have funds to complete major retrofits.

EcoAction representatives stressed they will continue working with county staff as the code process moves through a June regional meeting and a summer drafting phase, and they requested commissioners’ help with outreach and with considering county participation in the Green Grants pilot if matching funds are secured.

Ending: Commissioners thanked EcoAction representatives for the data and for the outreach ideas; EcoAction said it will provide the county with marketing materials and follow up on the ClearPath 2 dashboard timeline so county staff and residents can explore the inventory data in more detail.