The State Energy Office will contract with a third party consultant for a Wyoming based performance contracting program and alternate methods to serve small local governments. The program comprises three key and interworking components.

1.  To support performance contracting, a third party consultant evaluates and updates documents used by the program, develops and conducts outreach to clients, creates marketing support material, provides project review and monitoring, coordinates and oversees the work of pre-qualified energy services companies (ESCos).   The performance contracting approach incorporates an investment grade audit (IGA) with energy efficiency retrofits and upgrades.

2.  The SEO and consultant will pilot other methods to provide energy services to smaller local governments through an alternate approach titled WYLite.  The WYLite approach incorporates a no-cost energy audit/feasibility assessment performed as part of the process. 

3. The SEO will co-promote the complementary Wyoming Association of Municipalities/Wyoming County Commissioners Association, an energy lease program (WAM/WCCA Energy Lease).

Pre-Qualified Energy Services Companies (ESCos)

Company Summaries:

Ameresco, Inc.
Apollo Solutions Group
Johnson Controls, Inc.
McKinstry Essention, LLC
NORESCO, LLC
Energy Systems Group
Rocky Mountain Trane

The State of Wyoming’s Energy Emergency Response Plan (SEERP) is an overview of Wyoming’s energy landscape and is an advisory plan which contains recommendations on best practices and provides information as to which agencies are best equipped to handle specific types of emergencies.  The plan relies on a mixed strategy to respond to varying degrees of an energy shortage or emergency.  The Wyoming Office of Homeland Security (WOHS) is the primary agency responsible for the implementation of Emergency Support Function 12 in the event of an Energy Emergency.

In 2013 Governor Mead launched “Leading the Charge,” a comprehensive strategic plan for Wyoming's energy, environment and economy.  The strategy identifies several initiatives to promote economic growth and environmental quality.  The strategy was updated in 2016.  The State Energy Office will provide support to implement various initiatives.

State Energy Program strategic goal is to “reduce the impacts of energy production and use on the environment”.  To support this goal, the Wyoming Business Council, State Energy Office, requests permission to re-purpose payments of funds from the ARRA Residential Revolving program to support “Leading the Charge:  Wyoming’s Action Plan for Energy, Environment and Economy.” The 2016 Energy Strategy positions Wyoming to lead the nation in effective innovative policies that balance energy, the environment and the economy.  The 2016 Wyoming Strategy contains 12 new initiatives including infrastructure investments, renewable energy manufacturing, biomass utilization, state primacy, reclamation bonds, endangered species, public land and access, collaborative state management of invasive species on federal lands, career readiness, carbon innovation, local energy and energy education.

Continuation of 2013 Energy Strategy Initiatives. The 2013 Wyoming Energy Strategy contained 45 initiatives — 28 of which are complete, meaning in most cases, a foundation is laid for ongoing work.

 

Local governments must sign up for the Wyoming Energy Conservation Improvement Program by May 31, 2019, to receive a free energy assessment. The assessment must be completed before applying. Applications are due July 31, 2019.

Comprehensive Energy Audit/Retrofit

The intent of this program is to retrofit existing buildings to maximize energy savings and create sustainable reduction in energy usage.  To qualify, each applicant is required to participate in the Wyoming Energy Conservation Improvement Program (WYECIP) or WYLite (a scaled down version of WYECIP), which includes a no cost Energy Assessment of the facility in question.

Looking for additional funds?  The Wyoming Association of Municipalities-Wyoming County Commissioners Association (WAM-WCCA) Energy Lease Program offers loan funding for municipal energy savings projects.  The program is overseen by a joint Board consisting of three county and three municipal officials appointed by the Presidents of the WCCA and WAM.  All leases are e for a period of two years, amortized over ten years, and each lease can be renewed up to four times.  For further information, please visit: http://wyomuni.org/services-partners/.

Maximum grant amount is $25,000 per community, with a 10% required cash match.

Eligible retrofits:

1. Insulation installation
2. Energy efficient lighting installation
3. HVAC upgrades
4. Weather sealing
5. Energy Star appliance purchases and installation
6. Window and door replacement
7. High-efficiency shower and faucet upgrades. 

Application

Lighting Only

The intent of this program is to retrofit existing buildings to maximize energy savings and create sustainable reduction in energy usage.  To qualify, each applicant is required to participate in the Wyoming Energy Conservation Improvement Program (WYECIP) or WYLite (a scaled down version of WYECIP), which includes a no cost Energy Assessment of the facility in question.

Looking for additional funds?  The Wyoming Association of Municipalities-Wyoming County Commissioners Association (WAM-WCCA) Energy Lease Program offers loan funding for municipal energy savings projects.  The program is overseen by a joint Board consisting of three county and three municipal officials appointed by the Presidents of the WCCA and WAM.  All leases are e for a period of two years, amortized over ten years, and each lease can be renewed up to four times.  For further information, please visit: http://wyomuni.org/services-partners/.

Maximum grant amount is $25,000 per community, with a 10% required cash match.

Application

Links

WYLITE Application

Energy efficiency improvements are an often-overlooked cost-effective opportunity for Wyoming’s small businesses, agricultural producers, non-profits, and local governments.  The Wyoming Business Council, Community Development Division, State Energy Office offers funding to entities pursuing an energy audit and/retrofit.  

The program funds 75% of the cost of an energy audit and some energy efficiency improvements.  Energy audits examine ways to reduce energy consumption (efficiency improvements).  When funding is available, the program can also pay a fraction of the actual improvements identified in the audit, such as lighting upgrades, insulation, and more.  The cost of the audit and associated improvements cannot exceed $5,000. Residences and housing units are not eligible.  SEO will work in unison with USDA Rural Development. 

Maximum grant amount is $5,000 with a 25% required cash match.

Eligible retrofits:

1. Insulation installation
2. Energy efficient lighting installation
3. HVAC upgrades
4. Weather sealing
5. Energy Star appliance purchases and installation
6. Window and door replacement
7. High-efficiency shower and faucet upgrades.

Links

Application

Links

http://gis.wyo.gov/SEO/

Activities: 

·         Marketing Opportunities. Wyoming will study domestic and international marketing opportunities and aggressively reach out to those markets. Analysis will include identifying our strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, challenges, and competition. Wyoming will promote its resources, responsible development, regulatory certainty, and research and development investments. This process will lead to the identification of business opportunities and recommendations for long-term success.

·         GIS Tool. A widely accessible, web-based, geographic information system (GIS) with a data viewer and query tool will be developed to facilitate planning, siting and analyses for energy development and natural resource management. The tool’s extensive functionality will include a GIS map engine, links to data, query and reporting tools, forums, and a mechanism to distribute information. Landowners, industries, local, state and county agencies and the public will have access to data, including socioeconomic information, pipelines, transmission, cultural resources, energy resources, agricultural resources, water resources, wildlife, soils, infrastructure, and vegetation.

·         Hybrid Energy Systems. are characterized by combining a variety of inputs through engineering to produce a variety of outputs. In Wyoming, this could mean combining coal, natural gas and wind in a large energy campus to produce liquid fuels, chemicals and power. In the long-term small modular nuclear plants could be part of this value-added conversion process. A fully developed energy complex will take many years to complete but this initiative will create plausible scenarios leading to specific steps forward.

Infrastructure Investment Initiative

Communities are the backbone of a strong energy economy and require good infrastructure to provide services. Wyoming needs to anticipate growth and continue investment in community infrastructure — preparing for the future. Communities must have good roads, bridges, hospitals and more to support a vibrant energy economy. They must also have the ability to integrate energy infrastructure that supports local economies, such as natural gas distribution systems, biomass generation, energy efficiency and others.  Knowing what infrastructure is needed, as well as available financing options, is necessary.

Activities:  Develop and industry advisory committee to provide feedback on infrastructure requirements and availability.  Contract with consultants with infrastructure expertise to evaluate infrastructure readiness across the state.  Create GIS layers where necessary.  Report on infrastructure deficiencies.  Investigate alternative approaches to financing infrastructure. 

 
Wind Energy Manufacturing Initiative

Building on success in attracting manufacturers, Wyoming will explore efforts to grow a strong renewable energy manufacturing sector. The Wyoming Business Council will lead the effort — meeting with government, community members, and businesses to analyze the existing opportunities, inventory current incentives and infrastructure and develop specific recommendations to grow this industry.

Activities:  Prepare recommendations to attract this industry.  Develop, grow and maintain contacts and prospects.  Promote Wyoming at renewable energy venues.  Assist regions with local marketing efforts. Review workforce training requirements and availability.   

Carbon Innovation Initiative

Wyoming supports an all-inclusive energy portfolio. Federal funding for energy research and development has been focused on renewable technologies, shorting conventional resources. As a counterweight, Wyoming has focused additional efforts on advancing carbon based energy technology. The Integrated Test Center is a public/private partnership with the XPRIZE, building a laboratory onto an existing coal-fired power plant to test new technologies on a pilot scale. It challenges the world to re-imagine what can be done with CO2 emissions – incentivizing the development of technologies that convert carbon emissions into value added products. As they are developed, successful technologies must be transferred from research to production scale. This initiative will create planning and policies for Wyoming to lead in developing commercial scale technologies – building an industry around carbon. State agencies will identify regulatory impediments and solutions. Additional technologies in development at the University of Wyoming — School of Energy Resources will be integrated into planning.

Activities: 

·         Develop a plan for engaging the public, local leaders, industry, policy makers, the University and public in a dialog about the issues related to the New Carbon Economy.  

·         Engage the Department of Workforce Services and the Community Colleges.  The challenge is to start preparing now for the jobs of the future.  Wyoming needs to do a lot of this anyway to grow high output businesses, advanced manufacturing and technology businesses.  Develop strategies for retraining those dislocated by changes in the coal economy. Laid-off miners do not readily translate into available workforce unless we are able to retain and retrain them.

·         Assist existing businesses with recapitalization, process modifications, marketing support, workforce retraining and other necessary adaptations.  

  ·         Work with entrepreneurs, researchers and developers to develop the programs, financing and support to help some of them lead the effort in carbon technologies

This grant is available for public schools to retrofit current lighting systems to energy-efficient systems, occupancy controls and/or automatic dimming according to natural light.

Applicants must sign up for the Wyoming Energy Conservation Improvement Program by May 31, 2019, to receive a free energy assessment. The assessment must be completed before applying. Applications are due July 31, 2019.

Links

WYLITE Application

Application