Grant would fund downtown energy audits

The city plans to apply for a grant Friday that would use federal stimulus funds to subsidize energy audits and retrofits of downtown buildings.
 The federal government would fund 75 percent of the energy audit and the city would fund half of the remaining balance, leaving property owners on the hook for only 12.5 percent of the cost. The audit would show the owners how they could make changes that would reduce their energy bills.
 The city is applying for the maximum award amount of $500,000, Assistant City Manager Paula Hertwig Hopkins said. The money would be administered by Columbia Water and Light, which would bid out the auditing work and award the audits to property owners on a first-come, first-serve basis. She said the city estimates about 300,000 square feet of property could be audited if the maximum grant amount is awarded to Columbia.
There is also an option for property owners to retrofit their buildings using the audit recommendations, but they would be expected to pay for 25 percent of the project. Hertwig Hopkins warned that a significant amount of paperwork, due to federal stimulus reporting laws, would be required from property owners.
Special Business District board members signaled their interest in the grant at their meeting Tuesday. SBD Director Carrie Gartner said after hearing about the grant Monday and sending out an e-mail, she’d already received 13 letters from interested property owners. “It’s rare you get this kind of help,” she said