Adams County seeks permission to apply for Colorado Energy Office and DRCOG building‑policy grants

Adams County staff asked the Board of County Commissioners on Oct. 31 to approve applications and letters of support for two climate‑related grant opportunities: the Colorado Energy Office (CEO) Local Impact Accelerator grant and a Denver Regional Council of Governments (DRCOG) building‑policy subaward tied to the EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grant.

The CEO Local Impact Accelerator application is due Nov. 5, staff said; the county submitted a letter of intent in July and was invited to submit a full proposal. County staff described the CEO grant as having two required components: policy work and project implementation. County climate policy specialist Amanda Perkins said the policy work would focus on land‑use rules for renewable energy and permitting standards: “we would like to develop standards and regulations for utility scale geothermal operations and wind energy land uses,” and to update solar and battery‑storage land‑use standards. Staff said the policy component is required and would “unlock” funding for projects.

On the implementation side, staff described four pilot projects the county would propose, all in the transportation sector: solar‑powered e‑bike hubs at RTD stations or activity centers, e‑bike mini libraries at affordable housing sites, means‑tested e‑bike vouchers for residents, and a micro‑transit on‑demand shuttle pilot for Southwest Adams County to improve first‑/last‑mile connections and prioritize low‑ or zero‑emission vehicles. Ariel (staff) described the projects as alternative‑transportation pilots and said conversations are already underway with RTD and several municipalities. Staff told commissioners the CEO application required no local match and noted the program’s “vision” budget cap at $5,000,000; smaller “constrained” and “standard” budget scenarios would be submitted as part of the application.

For the DRCOG subaward — part of an EPA award to DRCOG of nearly $200 million — staff said a formula allocation yields approximately $1,500,000 available to Adams County for building‑energy activities. Amanda Perkins described eligible uses including staff capacity, training and certification, permitting and system support, technical assistance, and community engagement. County staff said the DRCOG funds would be used principally to strengthen county systems in anticipation of future adoption of building energy codes above the state minimum, including work to prepare for a transition from the 2018 to the 2024 International Energy Conservation Code.

Staff requested county direction to submit both applications and letters of support (required as part of each application). They outlined an application timeline: CEO due Nov. 5 and DRCOG at the end of the month; award announcements mid‑December; contracting in early 2026; work to begin in spring 2026; and grant performance periods concluding with final reports due Oct. 2029. Commissioners asked clarifying questions about voucher eligibility, scholarship details for contractors and staff certification, the scope of permitting streamlining, and whether large or single‑focus policy awards could preclude other project funding. Staff replied that DRCOG and CEO feedback on their project slate was favorable and that awards generally would be made to match the budget the county submits.

Commissioners indicated support for staff proceeding and for delivering the letters of support; staff said they would finalize and circulate hard copies for signatures. No formal roll‑call vote was recorded in the transcript.