By Keith Whitcomb Jr. Staff Writer
WINOOSKI, Vt. — Those tasked with finding applicants for a new energy-efficiency program expect the $1 million being offered will go quickly.
Efficiency Vermont announced Tuesday that the program is currently taking applications. Jeff Buell, a representative of Efficiency Vermont, said there’s already been a strong level of interest. The group is working with the state’s regional development corporations (RDC) to market the program.
“A dozen or so have already reached out, just hearing through the RDC grapevine. So I think there is a fair amount of demand,” said Buell. “The question is, will those projects align with the criteria of the program, and that’s to be determined, but we do believe there’s a lot of demand out there. That was one of the prerequisites for creating the program in the first place.”
Buell said these funds are for energy-efficiency projects, specifically aimed at electrical consumption. It will cover 90% of a project’s cost, up to $40,000. Efficiency Vermont would like to do one to two projects in each of Vermont’s 12 economic development regions.
Those interested can email [email protected] or visit bit.ly/0907Program to learn more.
The funds come from Efficiency Vermont’s annual budget, not from the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), which has been getting media attention as of late.
Buell said this program is aimed at completing projects that companies might have been putting off or seen stall out because of the pandemic.
“They need to be projects that will be completed this year,” said Buell. “So, the implication of that is the projects probably do need, generally, to have already been started or they need to be able to go from zero to complete in a quarter or two.”
Efficiency Vermont is looking to the RDCs for help connecting it with businesses that might be interested in the program. The group has a long working history with the RDCs, said Buell.
In Rutland, the RDC is the Chamber and Economic Development of the Rutland Region. (CEDRR). Tyler Richardson is the operations director there and said Tuesday that there’s been interest in the program already.
“We’re marketing it in our various channels, but also just directly to businesses and members of our board and things like that,” he said. “The response has been pretty much what I expected, businesses are interested in it, and I think it’s helping some businesses get off the fence with making some of these long term cost-saving improvements.”
Jamie Stewart, executive director of Central Vermont Economic Development Corp., said he’s aware of two small businesses that are interested. One is a furniture maker with about 10 employees that needs a new dust collection system and some other equipment, the other is a small medical provider.
“This will go a long way towards helping them get started on the right foot,” he said Tuesday.
Many businesses are re-examining how they do business, he said, with some of the smaller ones looking for help in planning their futures.
“I think we’re going to see a significant amount of interest in it,” he said.
“Many of the businesses we serve have struggled to thrive amid supply-chain disruptions, staffing shortages, and production cutbacks tied to the COVID-19 pandemic and other market pressures,” stated Fred Kenney, executive director of the Addison County Economic Development Corp., and president of the Regional Development Corporations of Vermont, in a release. “By partnering with Efficiency Vermont, the Regional Development Corporations can bring much-needed financial and technical support to key businesses in our regions. We are excited to help seek out businesses that might ordinarily not think to reach out to Efficiency Vermont, so they can benefit from this program.”
As your daily newspaper, we are committed to providing you with important local news coverage for Sullivan County and the surrounding areas.