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Commissioners back expanded energy performance package; staff to pursue incentives and budget amendment
Summary
Adams County staff and contractor CMTA recommended a broad energy performance contract that would pair major maintenance replacements with geothermal, solar, lighting and controls upgrades; commissioners expressed support for the larger package and asked staff to pursue incentive funding and a 2025 supplemental budget amendment.
County staff and CMTA consultants presented an energy performance contract (EPC) plan that would accelerate a set of building upgrades across county facilities to reduce energy use, advance the county’s 2030 sustainability goals and meet Colorado’s building energy benchmarking requirements (Reg. 28).
Staff described two options: a smaller package limited to 12 mechanical/electrical projects drawn from the Facilities Major Maintenance & Replacement Plan (MMRP), and a larger package that adds roughly 25 value‑added projects including geothermal installations at the airport tower and Weymier Dome, rooftop and carport solar at the Human Services Center (HSC) and animal shelter, LED and controls upgrades, and HVAC system upgrades across multiple buildings. CMTA emphasized that an EPC concentrates engineering, design, construction and measurement/verification under a single performance contractor and can include guaranteed energy savings and long‑term optimization.
A staff recommendation favored Option 2, with a proposed budget schedule that would begin in 2025 with a supplemental appropriation (staff proposed a $5.6 million 2025 amendment to accelerate early work) and total project cost across 2025–2027 of about $14.8 million. Staff also noted the opportunity to pursue federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) tax credits and Colorado Energy Office incentives that can materially offset initial costs and improve net life‑cycle returns; they said the county would not use EPC financing, but would use capital reserves and CIP appropriations to accelerate projects.
Commissioners asked about payback periods, longevity of buildings, interactions with airport P3 development and whether geothermal at the tower should wait for potential P3 microgrid solutions. CMTA and staff answered that the geothermal approach is a low‑footprint, long‑term solution that reduces electric demand and pairs well with solar; they also noted practical construction sequencing advantages at the tower. Staff and CMTA cited example projects elsewhere (Fairfax County, VA; City & County of Denver) where guaranteed savings exceeded projections. Commissioners expressed general support for Option 2 and for pursuing incentives and a 2025 budget amendment, while asking staff to continue evaluating project‑by‑project ROI, impacts on long‑range master plans and opportunities to coordinate with future P3 development.
Staff will return with formal budget amendment language and recommended contract documents; work on incentive applications and design pricing will continue with the selected EPC firm (CMTA) to firm up scope and schedule.
