Oak Park board approves contract to fund one‑stop home energy navigator

The Village Board of Oak Park approved a professional services agreement with Elevate Energy on Feb. 17 to operate the Oak Park Energy Navigator (OPEN), a one‑stop program designed to guide homeowners and property owners through home energy assessments, financing options and retrofits aimed at lowering energy costs and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The program, which was developed out of the village’s Climate Ready Oak Park plan, will provide a multilingual help desk, comprehensive home energy assessments and diagnostic testing, individualized home energy roadmaps and navigator coaching to help residents access public and utility incentives. Elevate officials told trustees the full‑implementation design for year one proposes serving up to 80 properties and aims for at least 40% of participants to come from vulnerable households (income threshold the presenters described as AMI 80% or less).

Why it matters: OPEN is intended as a connector across existing resources — including the village’s energy grants, ComEd’s Whole Home Electric program and other public financing — to reduce barriers residents face when attempting deep energy upgrades such as insulation, heat pumps and solar. Supporters said the program could scale access to incentives and help households convert plans into completed work.

What the board heard: Elevate’s presentation summarized a six‑month soft launch and a proposed 12‑month implementation model that bills time and materials rather than per participant. Elevate said the 80‑property estimate is not a strict cap but a staffing‑based projection for the first year; officials said they are open to testing lighter or more intensive service tiers to increase throughput or provide more hand‑holding for households that need extra support.

Trustees pressed on outcomes and equity targets. Board members asked how quickly residents would receive a roadmap after assessment (presenters said within weeks), how savings from early measures might appear on bills (presenters said some measures such as air sealing can show relatively quick benefits while full electrification takes longer), and how Elevate would engage contractors and community partners to reduce implementation friction. Elevate and village staff said they plan monthly check‑ins for income‑eligible participants and partnerships with community‑based organizations — including Housing Forward, Beyond Hunger and 7 Generations Ahead — with stipends for outreach.

Contract and budget: The resolution authorizes a professional services agreement with Elevate Energy in an amount not to exceed $500,000, billed on a time‑and‑materials basis. Board members asked for early performance reporting — one trustee requested a three‑month check‑in summarizing participants served and early outcomes — and staff said they will supply midyear and year‑end reviews and will use metrics such as number of assessments, roadmaps produced, help‑desk inquiries and share of participants from vulnerable communities.

Next steps: The board approved the resolution and authorized execution of the agreement; Elevate and the Sustainability Office said they would move from the soft launch to full launch beginning in March and will continue to refine outreach and service levels based on participant experience.