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Town hears final investment‑grade energy audit; $8.7M scope proposed with $2.7M in park lighting grants, council to consider financing
Summary
Town consultants recommended the final scope from an investment‑grade audit — an $8.7 million package of building and lighting upgrades with $2.7 million in grant‑funded solar park lighting — and asked the council to authorize moving toward certification and an energy performance contract.
Consultants from Energy Systems Group presented a final investment‑grade energy audit to the Taos Town Council on June 24 and asked for direction to finalize a performance contract and move toward construction.
Tara Trapton, account executive with Energy Systems Group, told council the full project scope analyzed five primary town facilities plus street lighting and park lighting, resulting in an $8.7 million total project cost. Trapton said the team identified roughly $2.7 million in grant funding for solar park lighting at Kit Carson Park, Fred Baca Park and EcoPark, and that the grants would cover those park lighting improvements at no cost to the town. She added that the audit estimates energy savings and reduced CO2 emissions and that an energy performance contract (EPC) would include a guaranteed savings component the town could use for financing.
Town staff and consultants described draft financing scenarios: the firm estimated the town would need to contribute a minimum of approximately $5.15 million to complete the full suite of improvements once grant funds are applied. Trapton said an additional approximately $1 million could be financed against guaranteed savings in the EPC and that federal tax incentives from the Inflation Reduction Act were calculated but not included in the conservative cash‑flow analysis.
The timeline presented: final draft of the IGA (investment‑grade audit) report to staff in July, third‑party certification with the state thereafter, and an anticipated EPC execution and funding decision by August if the council chooses to proceed. Implementation was estimated at about 13–14 months from construction start, followed by an annual measurement and verification period during which savings are guaranteed by the contractor.
"We are very pleased with the outcome," Trapton said, summarizing the audit and grant successes.
Why it matters: The project targets energy, water and operational costs across multiple town buildings and public lighting; its funding plan will affect the town budget and potential bonding decisions. Council asked staff to share the draft IGA with the finance committee and the town’s financial advisor and to return with the certified report and suggested financing options.
Ending: Councilmembers asked staff to circulate the draft audit to the finance committee and to return with the certified IGA and recommended funding path before committing to the full contract.
