By Brent Addleman | The Center Square

A new grant program designed to help cities and towns be energy efficient is now taking applications.

The Municipal Energy Resilience Program, Republican Gov. Phil Scott said Wednesday, is now accepting applications for the $45 million program through the Department of Buildings and General Services.

Municipalities would be eligible to receive Community Capacity Building Mini-Grants for up to $4,000. The program also includes up to $500,000 for grants centered on energy efficiency and other improvements aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

“Increasing energy resilience and efficiency is an important part of our work to combat climate change, and state and municipal government has a role to play,” Scott said in a release. “I encourage municipalities to consider taking advantage of this significant funding opportunity, which can help reduce both costs and emissions.”

According to a release, the program is culled from the State Energy Management Program, which has worked over the last decade to increase the efficiency of state-owned buildings and has created a 21,000 metric ton reduction of carbon dioxide emissions and at the same time eliminated $4.6 million in energy costs.

“We are excited to be able to bring the benefits of the SEMP program to municipalities,” BGS Commissioner Jennifer M.V. Fitch said in a statement. “Our partnerships with the Regional Planning Commissions, Efficiency Vermont, and the Vermont League of Cities and Towns will help ensure this program is accessible to smaller communities that don’t readily have access to planning and administrative staff to execute projects of this scale. Through our collective efforts, we’ll be able to make municipal buildings more efficient and reliable for the communities they serve.”

According to a release, the program will focus on cities and towns with the highest need of energy-resilient infrastructure investments, including energy-burdened communities and those with less administrative power to apply for grants. Energy burden is calculated by the percentage of income spent on heating, electricity, and transportation under the Efficiency Vermont 2019 Energy Burden report.

According to a release, the program is pointed at the state’s development strategies that are outlined in the Global Warming Solutions Act and those communities determined to be resilient.

Grantees, according to the release, can use the funding to hire a consultant who can identify municipality-owned buildings that are in need of energy efficiency improvements and also assist with grant applications for energy resilience assessments.

Under the program, according to the release, cities, towns, fire districts, and incorporated villages are able to apply for up to $4,000 in grants. Grants will be awardee on a first-come, first-serve basis, and are not competitive grants.