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Regional Energy Network
The Northwest Michigan Council of Governments welcomes you to the Regional Energy Network, a partnership of local governments, non-profit organizations, and professional service providers in northwest lower Michigan.
Through a combination of grant sources, the Regional Energy Network provides local governments and other institutions with a centralized resource for issues and projects pertaining to energy.
The Regional Energy Network is also able to provide specific services to units of local government within the Northwest Michigan Council of Governments' 10-county service area of Antrim, Benzie, Charlevoix, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Manistee, Missaukee and Wexford.
These services help to achieve the Regional Energy Network's main objectives:
- Reduce energy use through energy efficiency and conservation to create immediate energy cost savings, to relieve fiscal burdens long-term, and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Create opportunities for Michigan-based companies and jobs through purchase of energy efficient products and services
- Leverage public and private resources to create energy-related economic opportunities.
There are two sets of services currently available. The Michigan Public Service Commission grant program provides county governments with energy inventories, energy audits, action planning, and implementation support. Starting in fall 2011, those services will also be available to a competitively-selected group of city, village, and township governments across the 10-county region.
The Michigan Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant supports energy efficiency activities within the four counties of Antrim, Benzie, Kalkaska and Wexford. This grant program provides similar services as the MPSC program. Participants, which include a competitively selected group of villages and townships from within the four counties, receive energy inventorying and auditing services and action planning support.
Many other communities in northwest Lower Michigan received Michigan Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants. Please click here for a description (as of May 12, 2010) of their projects.
Energy auditors are going through county owned buildings in northern Michigan looking for ways counties can cut their energy use. The audits are funded by a Michigan Public Service Commission grant and which was awarded to the Northwest Michigan Council of Governments. Watch the video to find out more about the energy audits.