Climate & Energy

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Grants

Grants of $2,000-$20,000 are available for communities with populations under 15,000 for energy planning and project development to reduce energy use and fossil fuel emissions and improve energy efficiency.

West Central Initiative was awarded an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) from the Minnesota Department of Commerce to support energy efficiency and climate and energy planning activities to reduce energy use and fossil fuel emissions and improve energy efficiency with sub-grants to communities in west central Minnesota.

Important Dates

Application Deadline: Rolling

Eligibility

Local governments in small cities or towns with populations under 15,000 in west central Minnesota are eligible for grants of $2,000-$20,000.

Other local units of government, such as a township, school district, parks district, or any combination of those units operating under an agreement to exercise powers jointly, can use the funds. Funds cannot be used for implementation projects.

Grant Use

Local governments may use funds for various energy planning and project development purposes, including, but not limited to, climate, energy, and resiliency planning, energy audits of government facilities, and engineering and technical assistance services for government facilities. Funds can also be used for other energy-related studies for public buildings and community plans.

Planning could include engaging consultants experienced in climate resilience and community energy planning to create a planning document informed by local climate projections and other data. The document’s creation would include community engagement, a needs assessment, and concrete steps for increasing community resilience to extreme weather and other climate impacts.

A comprehensive assessment of the energy use and efficiency of lights, insulation, HVAC systems, and other equipment at a city-owned facility. This should be completed by a certified energy professional or your local utility.  

The initial planning or engineering work required for the successful implementation of a project in the community (geothermal conversion study, lighting conversion study, solar engineering assessment, heat pump feasibility study, other HVAC upgrades, community resilience hub engineering assessment, and more). Other energy-related studies for public buildings and community plans.