Lamoille County Planning Commission
Energy Planning
The Municipal Energy Resilience Program (MERP) The Municipal Energy Resilience Program (MERP) is a new grant program funded by the State of Vermont Department of Buildings and General Services (BGS). Established by Act 172, MERP will provide $45 million in funding to help reduce municipal building energy usage, operating costs, and greenhouse gas emissions. The program offers staff support, application and technical assistance, and funding to help communities across Vermont become more energy resilient. Existing buildings owned by cities, towns, fire districts, incorporated villages, and all governmental incorporated units will be eligible for funding under this program. School districts are not eligible. The following opportunities will be available to municipalities through MERP. LCPC can assist you with every one! Community Capacity Building Mini-Grants Municipalities can apply for up to $4,000 to support capacity building and active participation in energy resilience initiatives. This is very flexible funding that can be used for a variety of local activities! The deadline to apply is May 31, 2024. A link to the application can be found on the BGS website: https://bgs.vermont.gov/municipal-energy-resilience-program/mini-grants Free Building Energy Assessments To be eligible for Implementation Grants, municipalities must apply for free BGS assessments of municipally owned buildings (except schools). Two levels of assessment provided area:
Implementation Grants Municipalities can apply for a maximum of $500,000 for projects identified in the building energy assessment report. Any municipal building that receives an energy assessment through MERP is eligible for this funding. Eligible projects could involve weatherization, thermal efficiency, and supplementing or replacing fossil fuel heating systems. BGS is not yet accepting applications for this grant program. Questions? Please contact Victoria at victoria@lcpcvt.org or (802) 851-6342. Related Resources (2019) Vermont Energy Burden Report Municipal Building Energy Efficiency Webinar
Say WATT? Electrification in Vermont In 2023, the Public Service Department reviewed statewide policies and programs related to renewable electricity to determine what changes are necessary to achieve state energy and climate goals. They teamed up with Vermont’s Regional Planning Commissions to ensure local voice were heard as these critical energy policies were updated. Throughout September 2023 there were a series of events throughout the state with opportunities to engage in conversations around these topics. Public input informed recommendations the Department will be making to Vermont’s policymakers in advance of the next legislative sessions. Click here to view the final report summarizing events and what was discussed in our region. Additional Resources
Curious how your feedback will be used? Check out the Department's website to learn more information and stay in the loop: https://publicservice.vermont.gov/renewables.
The energy industry is ever evolving, and with that comes technology that residents can use to improve their everyday lives. The Lamoille County Planning Commission has developed resource pages to inform communities and local residents about cost saving energy incentives available through local utilities. The links above, leads to a resource document that shows current electric vehicle, outdoor electric lawn care equipment, and home energy weatherization incentives. Energy Planning Assistance to Municipalities Since the enactment of the 2016 Energy Development Act (Act 174), the Lamoille County Planning Commission has provided energy planning assistance to Lamoille County municipalities. LCPC developed municipal data analyses and maps that can be used by the municipalities for their energy planning work pursuant to Act 174. The information provided below contains data that estimates current energy use and provides targets for future energy use across all sectors (transportation, heating, and electricity). It also sets targets for renewable energy generation within the municipality and maps areas with renewable resource potential. In the Fall of 2023, the Public Service Department released updated data to help with Act 174. LCPC is currently working on updating municipal targets based on the most up to date data. Read more about the Act 174 Guidance and Standards on the Public Service Department website. Energy Efficient Model Bylaw Examples Municipal Energy Data and Maps for Use in Enhanced Energy Planning These are large files due to the size of the maps. View them on the web or download them for better usability. |