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State’s new Municipal Energy Resiliency Program offers audits, outreach grants and up to $500,000 for implementation
Summary
BGS’s MERP program will provide free municipal energy audits, a $4,000 outreach/education allocation for each municipality and up to $500,000 for implementation projects; BGS will prioritize municipalities with high energy burden, and funds are not available for new construction.
Ann Janda, senior energy project manager with CCRPC staff, briefed the Planning Advisory Committee on Vermont Buildings and General Services’ Municipal Energy Resiliency Program (MERP) during the Jan. 11 meeting.
Janda said MERP has three components: (1) free energy-efficiency audits/walkthroughs for all municipalities, likely conducted in spring; (2) $4,000 per municipality for outreach and education about energy efficiency and greenhouse gas reductions; and (3) up to $500,000 available to municipalities for implementing audit recommendations, primarily aimed at weatherization and heating-system upgrades though the funding may also be used for rooftop solar.
Janda cautioned that BGS will prioritize implementation grants for municipalities identified as having a high energy burden by Efficiency Vermont, and staff noted that none of those high-burden communities are in Chittenden County; implementation funds would only be available to Chittenden municipalities if the program is not fully subscribed elsewhere. She also clarified that MERP funds are not eligible for the construction of new buildings.
What’s next: CCRPC staff encouraged municipalities to pursue the free audits and the $4,000 outreach grants and to apply for implementation funding if projects are eligible and funds remain available.
