Council amends Advanced Energy Fund grant request, shifts scale and local match

Oxford City Council amended a previously filed resolution authorizing an application to the Ohio Department of Development’s Advanced Energy Fund.

Jessica (staff) told council that recent technical review and an energy-audit process with a consultant had refined candidate projects. Staff recommended applying for up to $500,000 in grant funds with a local match of up to $250,000 for energy efficiency upgrades across municipal facilities and a solar array at the senior center. The earlier draft sought a larger grant ($1.4 million) with a 10% local match; staff proposed the smaller, targeted package after consulting the program’s eligibility rules.

"What we've learned with this program is that you can only apply for projects that yield a 15-year return on investment and a 15% improvement in energy efficiency," Jessica said. She said the program requires applicants to prioritize efficiency upgrades (lighting, controls, windows) before solar, and staff used a recent ASHRAE-level audit to identify municipal measures with the required payback.

Staff said they expect some portion of the city share could be covered through direct-pay incentives under the Inflation Reduction Act, which could reduce the city's out-of-pocket obligation. Council voted to adopt the amended resolution to pursue the $500,000 application with a $250,000 match and authorized staff to pursue direct-pay and other federal incentives where eligible.

Councilors expressed optimism about the direction and asked staff to proceed with grant application and implementation planning. The resolution passed on the consent or resolution vote as amended.