Ypsilanti's Clean Energy Coalition gives out $4.4M in building retrofit grants

Wednesday, October 20, 2010 | Source: Concentrate

Ypsilanti's Clean Energy Coalition will be funneling $4.4 million in grant money to seven distressed Michigan cities for clean energy programs.

Pontiac, Hamtramck, and Highland Park are among the cities receiving funds from the Michigan Public Service Commission through the "Cities of Promise" program. Cities will receive $463,000 for installation of renewable energy technology and setting up a revolving energy fund to pay for the energy management support and future investments.

Joshua Brugeman, a divison manager with the CEC, says the initial money helps distressed cities overcome two key hurdles: not having capital for the investments, and not having the budget to pay a staff person to manage them. "We provide them with that initial seed capital to improve their buildings from an energy perspective, establishing an ongoing program and revolving energy fund, to turn that initial seed capital into future investments," he says.

Although the cities are distressed, it's still important to invest in energy because of the savings and jobs it could create long-term, says Jenny Oorbeck, also a CEC division manager. And the funded staff person is also important: "You need someone who knows what they're looking at," she says. "We feel like we're doing the right thing for them, helping them put their arms around the data they need to understand and set up a program going forward."

The CEC is still working out the details of what the final investments will be. Also, some cities, including Pontiac and Hamtramck, received federal stimulus money, so the CEC can co-invest with that funding to create a more robust program.

The CEC, a non-profit organization that works with both public and private partners for smart energy strategies, has also subcontracted with the company Planet Footprint to keep tabs on the energy usage and savings for the cities, which will help them make informed decisions about their energy projects.

Other cities receiving funds are Benton Harbor, Flint, Muskegon Heights, and Saginaw. All seven cities are part of the Michigan State Housing Development Authority's Cities of Promise program, a program created in 2006 to help redevelopment in distressed urban cities.

Sources: Jenny Oorbeck and Joshua Brugeman, division managers for Clean Energy Coalition
Writer: Kristin Lukowski