As energy costs rise, municipalities are looking for solutions to lower utility bills, while also reducing emissions and increasing resilience. Local school districts are leading the way by seizing a major opportunity: federal energy tax credits.
In partnership with the Metropolitan Area Planning Council (MAPC), UndauntedK12 hosted a webinar for MAPC’s Municipal Energy and Sustainability Managers (MESM) Academy to share about federal energy tax credits, the opportunity to modernize HVAC systems in municipal buildings, and key ideas for municipalities to help their communities maximize these dollars.
To bring these concepts to life, this session featured Linda Liporto, Director of Interiors at LeftField, an owner's project management firm, where she shared her learnings from managing a local school project that incorporated the tax credit for ground-source heat pumps, a modern HVAC solution.
Key Highlights:
Sara Ross, Co-Founder of UndauntedK12, set the stage by discussing the importance of federal energy tax credits in driving municipal clean energy projects today and the role of municipal leaders in bringing this funding opportunity to the table.
Gabriela Rodriguez, Network and Engagement Manager at UndauntedK12, provided an overview of federal energy tax credits and Elective Pay, including covering changes that have affected their availability for municipal projects.
Gabriela also covered the federal energy tax credit for ground-source heat pumps, which schools are leveraging to cool down classrooms, lower costs, and reduce local air pollution. The tax credit typically covers 30-50% of project costs and is available for projects through 2034. Gabriela shared how this tax credit can be stacked with other funding sources and important details that municipal building owners should be aware of to maximize their funds.
Linda Liporto shared about the Town of Agawam’s school projects, where they are implementing ground-source heat pumps and leveraging the tax credit. Linda shared lessons learned from leading municipal project development to maximize the tax credit opportunity. This includes learnings from ensuring compliance with tax credit requirements and building a shared awareness of tax credits with building owners and project teams.
