Polis Administration’s Colorado Energy Office awards nearly $1.9 million to increase local government capacity for climate action

Twenty-five Colorado cities and counties will benefit from this funding through the federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program

Denver - Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024 - Today, the Polis administration's Colorado Energy Office (CEO) announced $1.865 million total in grant funding for eight proposals to improve local government capacity to implement climate projects. Funding for this grant comes from the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program, which received key funding through the federal Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The grants will help awardees increase staff capacity and foster regional collaboration to advance local clean energy and sustainability work. Awardees are located across the state and primarily represent communities outside of Colorado's large urban centers.

"Colorado is a national leader in climate action and we are proud to give local communities the resources needed to take action and support our state's bold goals to protect air quality and this state we love for generations to come," said Governor Jared Polis.

"Capacity is an essential component of local climate action, and these new awards will play an important role in enabling this work in Colorado's rural and mountain communities," said CEO Senior Policy Advisor for Local Governments Christine Berg. "This funding will help address climate-related needs, allowing a broad range of local governments to take key steps, including developing workforce planning roadmaps, creating climate action plans, and adopting clean energy."

CEO will fund grantees for up to three years through this staff capacity grant program. The funds will ensure program and staff continuity as local governments develop and implement their emission reduction goals and projects. Grantees will be required to identify how they will sustain these positions after the grant funding period ends.

While CEO was able to fund only a fraction of the applications submitted, the United States Environmental Protection Agency has awarded Colorado $70 million to create a local government Climate Accelerator Program as part of a Climate Pollution Reduction Grant created by the Inflation Reduction Act. This program, which will begin in mid-2025, will provide technical assistance, staff capacity, and grant funding to local governments to adopt policy and implement building energy efficiency and electrification, sustainable transportation, waste reduction, housing and land use reform, and renewable energy siting.

The Polis administration and CEO awarded EECBG grants for the following projects:

Chaffee County: A $187,605 award will fund a staff position shared between Chaffee County and the City of Salida. This role will focus on a three-year regional sustainability plan implementation initiative.

Colorado River Valley Economic Development Partnership (CRVEDP): Representatives from the municipalities of New Castle, Silt, Rifle, Parachute, and Battlement Mesa, as well as parts of unincorporated Garfield County, will use a $240,000 award create a staff position housed in CRVEDP to implement comprehensive economic diversification and sustainable energy development projects in western Garfield County. This project includes a strong emphasis on workforce development and new job training in a just transition community.

City of Durango: A $240,000 award will fund a staff position housed in The Four Corners Office for Resource Efficiency (4CORE; a nonprofit organization that provides climate solutions to help people in southwest Colorado) that will support La Plata Electric Association and the City of Durango. This individual will work on scaling and implementing energy efficiency, renewable energy, electrification, and workforce development initiatives across southwest Colorado.

EcoAction Partners: A consortium of San Miguel and Ouray counties and the towns of Telluride, Mountain Village, Ophir, and Norwood, will use a $191,100 award to staff a full-time Regional Climate Action Development Director. EcoAction Partners will manage this position, which will support each of the 10 jurisdiction members with climate action plan projects and programming implementation.

City of Hayden: A five-government regional climate action effort known as the Routt County Climate Action Plan Collaborative (Routt County, Steamboat Springs, Hayden, Oak Creek, and Yampa) will use a $264,100 award to launch a regional electrification and decarbonization planning and implementation initiative that is essential to scaling up electrification in northwest Colorado. There will also be support for workforce development and job training in the just transition communities.

Lake County: A $240,000 award will support a new position that will lead the development of the county's climate action plan and implementation of county government climate initiatives.

Larimer County: A $262,194 award will fund a staff position to develop the Town of Estes Park's first Climate Action Plan and ensure alignment with the Larimer County Climate Smart Future Ready (CSFR) plan. The staff member will also coordinate and manage six CSFR Action Teams to implement regional climate actions that will have a meaningful impact on greenhouse gas reductions.

City of Pueblo / Pueblo County: A total of $240,000 will support a staff position shared between the city and county to implement regional sustainability projects and programming.

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