Main Street Efficiency Initiative

Helping Main Street Colorado Green its Bottom Line

The Main Street Efficiency Initiative (MSEI) is a Colorado Energy Office (CEO) program that works at the community level to help small businesses reduce energy costs, create and sustain local jobs, and reduce carbon emissions. Financial and technical assistance was provided to local businesses, public agencies, and community partners to assist with the implementation of energy efficiency upgrades in existing small and mid-size facilities. To date, over 30 communities and 363 small businesses across the State were engaged. Rebates of $464,447 were provided for a total of $705,881 in business project costs. These measures resulted in estimated, annual projected savings of $263,795, 1,693,567 kWh, and 54,178 therms.

Note: these values are expected to increase as GEO receives more savings data from MSEI partners.

The MSEI program successfully helped businesses reduce energy costs, while providing secondary benefits such as: infusing local economies with much needed capital, supporting existing jobs and increasing local demand for energy efficiency jobs, reducing carbon dioxide emissions, and increasing energy efficiency awareness and education within the small business community. Within a year of initial launch, the MSEI program is commonly referenced by businesses and contractors when implementing energy efficiency measures. The entire program was funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The MSEI program evolved into 4 separate programs based on community needs and funding sources: (1) Competitive Grant Program; (2) EECBG Self-managed; (3) EECBG CEO-managed, “Small Business Efficiency Program”; and (4) Small Scale Grant Program. Although each program was administered and managed differently, the intent remained the same; to save energy and save money for small businesses.

Competitive Grant Program

These grants were intended to assist communities with financial and technical support to develop new or strengthen existing local programs that assist businesses in achieving the goals of MSEI.  Part of the State Energy Program (SEP) funds and Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) funds were used to support these efforts and reduce carbon emissions. Participating communities include:

• Tri-County Main Street Efficiency Program (CLEER)
• Commercial Energy Implementation Program (Platte River Power Authority)
• Non-profit Energy Efficiency Program (EOC)
• Energy Wise Business Program (ORE)
• Denver Small Business Energy Program (Colfax Green Partnership)
• Mainstreet Makeover II (City of Woodland Park)

For more information on individual programs please contact the program administrator listed below.

EECBG Self-Managed Program

This program was offered to communities that received EECBG funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and were able to manage MSEI programs in-house. These communities used MSEI to develop and manage new or strengthen existing in-house programs that assist local businesses in achieving the goals of MSEI.  Participating communities include:

• City of Aurora

• Boulder County

• City and County Denver

• City of Fort Collins

• Garfield County

• City of Grand Junction 

For more information on individual programs please contact the program administrator listed below. 

EECBG CEO-Managed Program - Small Business Efficiency Program

This program was designed for communities that received EECBG funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, but were unable to manage individual MSEI programs. In partnership with these communities, CEO managed and administered the program on their behalf.  Through this Program, small and medium-sized businesses were eligible to receive rebate dollars for facility audits, lighting retrofits, re-commissioning services, setback thermostats, and other qualified energy efficiency measures. Participating communities include:

• City of Arvada
• City of Lakewood
• City of Littleton
• City of Pueblo
• City of Westminster.

The Small Business Efficiency Program is no longer active within these communities. For information on past program offerings contact Trident Energy Services at (303) 247-0193.

Small Scale Grant Program

Communities that did not receive an EECBG allocation, but did wish to participate in the MSEI program, were competitively awarded placement in the Small Scale Grant program. The Small Scale Grant program was modeled after the CEO-managed program; however, the day-to-day management was lead by the community’s MSEI program coordinator. Each community had unique rebate offerings for individual businesses for lighting upgrades, programmable thermostats, and re-commissioning. Participating communities include:

• City and County of Broomfield

• Southern Central Council of Governments (City of Walsenburg)

• Sustainable Technology Institute (City of Idaho Springs)

• City of Lamar

• Painted Sky RC&D (Cities of Delta and Montrose)

• City of Steamboat Springs

• The New Community Coalition  (Town of Telluride and City of Ouray)

• La Plata Electric Association (City of Durango)

• High Country Conservation (Town of Fairplay)

• High Country Conservation (Town of Frisco)

• High Country Conservation (City of Leadville and Lake County)

• Grand County BEDA

The Small Business Efficiency Program is no longer active within these communities. For information on past program offerings contact Trident Energy Services at (303) 247-0193.