By Brett Yates
Thanks to a recently expanded state program, municipal buildings in Vermont have a chance to go green without burdening local budgets. Officials in Chittenden hope to take advantage.
Eyeing heating, lighting, and weatherization upgrades, Chittenden has applied for $499,999.49 — out of a maximum of $500,000 – in grant funding from Vermont’s Municipal Energy Resilience Program, which will use $45 million from 2021’s federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to subsidize the decarbonization of town buildings. The big-ticket item is a proposed geothermal heat pump for the Chittenden town office, which would cost $247,000.
For the North Chittenden Grange Hall, officials have requested $56,328 for a standard air-source heat pump system. Geothermal systems have a bigger price tag in part because they require digging below the surface of the earth to collect heat from soil that, even in winter, remains relatively warm. That, however, allows them to use less energy to keep buildings heated.
According to projections shared by Emergency Management Director Jan Sotirakis, who applied for the grant on the town’s behalf, the geothermal system would save $5,000 in annual energy expenses over the course of its four- or five-decade lifespan. Even so, Selectman Andrew Quint lamented the upfront cost before voting to approve the application on Sept. 23.
“As a taxpayer, $247,000 is beyond frustrating. It’s just so out of context,” Quint said, calling it “federal printed money that at some point will have to be paid for.”
The town office and the Grange Hall would also receive modifications to improve each building’s “thermal envelope.” And because the Municipal Energy Resilience Program can pay for projects related to ADA compliance, a wheelchair-accessible ramp could come to the Grange.
The Vermont Dept. of Buildings and General Services will evaluate grant applications and announce winners by Oct. 25. It could choose to fund all, some, or none of Chittenden’s desired projects, which will compete with proposals from across the state.
“I’ve heard that there’s 27 applications from Rutland County,” Sotirakis said. By her account, Chittenden is one of three Rutland County towns seeking funding for a geothermal system.
