The Municipal Energy Resilience Program (MERP) is a new grant program funded by Vermont Building and General Services (BGS) and administered by regional planning commissions to help communities become more energy resilient.
Passed on June 2nd, 2022, Act 172 (As Enacted link) authorized MERP $45 million to support dependable and sustainable connections to critical municipal services for all Vermonters. Buildings owned by cities, towns, fire districts, incorporated villages, and all other governmental incorporated units except for school districts are eligible for the program.No local match is required for this funding.
The Municipal Energy Resilience Program (MERP) will provide staff support, application and technical assistance, and funding to help communities become more energy resilient, reduce energy use and operating costs, and curb greenhouse gas emissions by promoting renewable energy, battery storage, electric vehicle charging, weatherization, thermal improvements, fuel switching, and enhanced building comfort in municipal buildings and facilities.
The program will provide the following funding opportunities:
A quick review of the program and template selectboard approval language is available here: Template Selectboard approval. An FAQ is also available by clicking HERE.
These grants provide up to $4,000 to support energy resilience community capacity building. This is a non-competitive grant, all towns that apply with an applicable project can expect to recieve this grant. Funds granted must be expended by December of 2024. Selectboard approval for proposed projects is required, meaning any applicant should have approval included in the selectboard meeting minutes. Potential uses include:
To use these funds efficiently applicants are encouraged to develop projects shared across multiple municipalities.
To learn more, review the draft Grant Agreement for these funds.
CLICK HERE TO COMPLETE THE APPLICATION DUE: October 31st, 2023
Towns can apply for building assessments of any municipally owned building except schools. These assessments will provide recommendations and cost estimates for HVAC and thermal envelope improvements, weatherization, renewable energy equipment, battery storage and EV charging equipment. Two levels of assessment are available:
Time Required ~ 1.5 hours
Level 1 provides a phased scope of work, estimated costs, timeline for the recommended improvements designed to reduce operations & maintenance costs, enhance comfort and reduce energy intensity. These may include improvements to the thermal envelope, HVAC systems, and fuel-switching to renewable heating systems. Additional analysis and recommendations for siting of renewables, EV charging and battery storage feasibility are also provided. All recommendations include an estimate of equipment lifecycle costs and consumption data.
Pros: Shorter duration, no documents required
Cons: No blower door testing, not applicable for future loan programs
Time Required ~ 4 hours
An ASHRE Level 2 investment grade energy audits cover all items in a Level 1 assessment with the addition of a blower door test to measure are leaks. During this test, which can take an hour or more to complete, contractors will close all exterior windows and doors and require that traffic in and out of the building be restricted in order to get an accurate reading. This assessment requires the town to provide the following information at the time of application:
If available, the following information is beneficial but not required:
Pros: Enhanced savings calculations, blower door test included, applicable for loans
Cons: Longer duration, additional documentation
If the town is aware of vermiculite in the building, please be sure to state this in your application because it may impact what level of assessment is available to you. Covered municipalities may apply for multiple assessments of either level.
Covered municipalities may apply for either assessment. Both are free and will qualify for a MERP Implementation Grant. Consult with your RPC or technical support provider for assistance in selecting the right assessment for your municipality!
Click Here for a Handout
Each municipality can apply for a maximum of $500,000 for building renovation projects regarding weatherization, thermal efficiency, and supplementing or replacing fossil fuel heating systems with more efficient renewable or electric alternatives. These funds can be split across several eligible buildings under one project grant application.
All Addison County municipally-owned buildings are eligible for the MERP programs. Any municipal building that qualifies and receives an energy assessment through the MERP program is eligible for implementation funding.
To receive MERP Implementation funds the town must comply with the following:
This grant is a competitive program. However, about $35 million dollars has been allocated for these implementation grants. Therefore, we can expect at least 70 communities (more than 1/4 of the state!) to be granted some level of funding.
The scoring matrix for applications has not been developed but will prioritize communities with high energy burden and low administrative capacity. Additionally, BGS will seek to distribute funds with evenly across the state and with preference for small communities. Beyond these community characteristics, applications will be evaluated on emissions reduction potential, and community benefit.
Energy burden is defined as the proportion of income spent on energy, including heating, electricity, and transportation. The MERP program is using the 2019 Efficiency VT Energy Burden report as the standard for this portion of the priority scoring. The list below shows where your town falls on the energy burden scale.
High Energy Burden
Moderate Energy Burden
Low Energy Burden
The timeline below is subject to change as the program develops:
ACRPC’s newsletter contains region-specific announcements, grants, and trainings each month.
Addison County Regional Planning Commission
14 Seminary Street, Middlebury, VT 05753
802-388-3141
