The Missouri Clean Energy District was designated as a Green Community by resolution of MCED on behalf of its intergovernmental member communities in 2017. In order to achieve designation, the member community had access to the following benefits:
- Provide private sector and other interested public sector entities with the opportunity to access capital for funding energy improvement projects in their communities and businesses.
- Local governments and private businesses will be able to tap into low-interest rate loans to finance conservation projects such as energy efficiency, renewable energy, alternative fuels measures, renewable generation and environmental conservation measures.
- Provides a tool for both the public and private sectors to increase energy efficiency in their facilities and realize energy savings on their bills.
- Establish an energy use baseline and develop a plan to reduce energy use significantly.
- Provide technical assistance and assist in joint use of block grants providing efficient use of funding.
As a Green Community, MCED Members and constituents are eligible to apply for grant funds to put towards energy efficiency projects. Through FY22, MCED has received over $2 billion in Green Communities Funding Commitments for District-wide energy efficiency projects. The District is audited by the Missouri Division of Finance on the operation of its programs, and to grant agencies on the progress of grant-funded projects.
The current census of District Membership includes over 350 cities, towns, villages and counties. Over half of the population of the state resides within the jurisdiction of a District member community.
As described by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), a green community program is a program that meets the following two requirements: (a) the program’s purpose is to promote one or more of the purposes of energy conservation, energy efficiency or environmental conservation initiatives relating to energy consumption, including, but not limited to, energy savings through retrofitting initiatives for heating, cooling, lighting, water-saving, storm-water reducing or other efficiency measures, distributed generation initiatives or transportation initiatives that conserve energy and/or support alternative fuel infrastructure, and (b) the program must (i) involve property that is available for general public use or (ii) involve a loan (or other repayment mechanism) or grant program that is broadly available to the member of the general public, including individuals and businesses. It is not necessary for a green community program to affect the entire geographical area or all residents and businesses within the geographic jurisdiction of the governmental unit that implements the program so long as the program broadly benefits the general public, residents or businesses in the affected area.
