EGLE awards $492,145 in grants

EGLE awards $492,145 in grants for community energy efficiency and solar projects

Twenty-six Community Energy Management (CEM) program grants totaling $492,145 announced today by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) will finance energy efficiency upgrades and other energy-related projects.

“Reducing energy waste saves money, saves energy, makes us healthier and improves our environment all at once,” EGLE Director Liesl Clark said. “Over half of EGLE’s budget goes out the door to invest in local communities. Climate solutions are local solutions, and these Community Energy Management projects are building stones as Michigan lays the groundwork to reaching its goal of carbon neutrality by 2050.”

The CEM program grants will help local governments, public schools and other community organizations fund energy use assessments and comparative usage studies, perform lighting and climate control efficiency upgrades, add efficient building insulation, improve heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, participate in renewable energy projects or update municipal plans and ordinances. These important projects will save money and reduce an organization’s carbon footprint.

The grant recipients, award amounts and project purpose:

• Alpena Public Schools, $15,000, energy efficiency upgrades.
• Bellevue Community Schools, $15,000, energy audit and energy efficiency upgrades.
• Big Rapids Housing Commission, $14,000, energy audit and energy efficiency upgrades.
• Caledonia Community Schools, $15,000, upgrade building energy management system.
• Chassell Township, $15,000, energy efficiency upgrades.
• City of East Jordan, $15,000, energy efficiency upgrades.
• City of Grand Blanc, $15,000, energy audit and energy efficiency upgrade.
• City of Harrison, $15,000, renewable energy project.
• City of Huntington Woods, $12,000, energy efficiency upgrades.
• City of Kentwood, $15,000, energy efficiency upgrades.
• City of Lansing, $9,900, under 60-kilowatt solar array installation.
• City of Mt. Morris, $15,000, energy efficiency upgrades.
• City of Petoskey, $15,000, energy efficiency upgrades.
• Detroit 2030 District, $15,000, support the city’s municipal benchmarking efforts.
• East Jordan Public Schools, $15,000, 20-kilowatt solar array installation.
• Ecoworks, $100,000, energy audits and energy efficiency upgrades for cold storage systems for organizations providing food and meal distribution services in Detroit.
• Fiddler’s Green Foundation, Bad Axe and Corunna, $13,000, energy efficiency upgrades.
• Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County, $15,000, energy efficiency upgrades.
• Lewis Cass Intermediate School District, Cassopolis, $15,000, energy efficiency upgrades.
• Martin Luther King Jr. Education Center Academy, Detroit, $15,000, energy efficiency upgrades.
• Overisel Township, $1,245, energy efficiency upgrades.
• Royal Oak Public Library, $15,000, energy efficiency upgrades.
• Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corp., $15,000, energy efficiency upgrades.
• University of Michigan, $60,000, Department of Energy Solar Energy Technologies Office matching grant for rural community solar barriers project.
• Village of Ahmeek, $12,000, energy efficiency upgrades.
• Village of Muir, $15,000, energy efficiency upgrades.

EGLE’s Community Energy Management program is part of the Catalyst Communities Initiative run by the Office of Climate and Energy and EGLE’s Energy Services. Catalyst Communities offers a series of webinars, workshops and cohort-style academies on a range of topics as part of a multi-tiered approach to provide local decision-makers across the state with the knowledge, tools and resources to take steps toward a just transition to decarbonization. Communities interested in learning more can visit the Catalyst Communities webpage and sign up to receive program updates. Catalyst Communities will be the topic of a number of sessions at the Michigan Sustainability Conference June 2-4, including public-private community partnerships to advance decarbonization solutions, how community leaders can promote resilient coastal management and improve water infrastructure and energy management and low-income community solar. Conference attendees will learn from, collaborate with and drive transformation in social and environmental sustainability. EGLE also offers grants for clean energy roadmaps, energy waste reduction for small businesses, electric vehicle charger installation and matching funding for businesses that have been awarded a federal clean energy technology development grant.