DRCOG energy-advising program accepts inquiries; Englewood work planned for Aug. 24
The federally funded Power Ahead Colorado program offers free energy advising, while Englewood’s second-round application and more than $1 million in grant reporting remain unresolved.
A regional building-energy advising program funded by a $199.7 million federal grant is accepting inquiries from homeowners and building owners. Englewood’s local assessment work is scheduled to begin Aug. 24, according to regional and city records.
The program, called Power Ahead Colorado, is funded through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Pollution Reduction Grant program. DRCOG received the grant for a five-year effort to move the Denver region toward a zero-emission residential and commercial building sector by 2050, according to DRCOG’s grant overview.
The Power Ahead Colorado website directs homeowners and building owners to request help by calling 844-303-9333 or emailing info@advising.poweraheadcolorado.org. Advisers can help with project planning, heat pumps and potential financial support. The site does not list an online application or a city-by-city eligibility map.
Who may be eligible
DRCOG’s workplan describes the service as free, data-driven, client-focused and vendor-neutral. It is intended for properties ranging from single-family homes to large commercial and multifamily buildings, including owner-occupied and landlord-operated properties and buildings governed by condominium or homeowners associations.
Low-income and disadvantaged communities are to receive priority and twice the consultation hours available to other properties. The DRCOG workplan projects advising 34,000 residential units and 5,800 businesses or buildings over five years.
Advising is separate from a planned rebate-and-incentive program. The workplan allocates about $43.1 million for rebates and incentives intended to reduce the upfront cost of electrification and other decarbonization projects. The records reviewed do not establish that property owners must commit to an upgrade, select a contractor or provide matching funds to receive advising.
DRCOG describes Power Ahead Colorado as a Denver-metro program, which includes Englewood. But the materials reviewed do not provide detailed requirements for income, documentation, property ownership or owner consent.
Englewood’s application and grant reporting
An Englewood Sustainability Commission briefing prepared for an Aug. 11 meeting says the city applied for a second round of funding for residential and commercial energy assessments. It does not say whether the application was approved, rejected or remains pending. The presentation lists “BES starting August 24,” referring to the local building-energy assessment work. are agenda materials, not minutes documenting a meeting outcome.