Incentives & Loans

Electric vehicles (EVs) offer many benefits to members and consumers while also introducing future challenges to the electric grid. Member utilities can play an influential role in shaping customers’ behaviors and purchasing decisions in a way that effectively addresses these challenges. The Electric Vehicle Technologies Initiative offers progressive options to position members as trusted partners for their customers through education and financial incentives.

As the EV market grows, the challenges to successfully meet customers’ needs will continue to rise. It will be increasingly more important for members to assume an influential role in the education and promotion of EVs, in order to achieve multiple strategic goals:

• Establish a utility brand, wherein member utilities are seen as trusted local advisers.
• Help offset flat or declining electric loads.
• Affect charging behaviors in order to shift EV load to times of lower demand and/or low utility costs, with education and pricing signals.
• Advance a technology that improves air quality and lowers greenhouse gas emissions.

Members can implement energy efficiency and renewable energy projects through help the Member Loan Program. Upfront costs can often prohibit a community from implementing important energy-saving projects. The Member Loan Program can enable members to lead by example through the implementation of these project types in and on their utility and other municipally owned property.

Each member is  be eligible for up to $500,000 cumulatively in 0% interest loans. This can include multiple loans for a member, but the sum of the initial loan amounts cannot be greater than $500,000. The minimum loan amount is $5,000 for each loan issued. Projects involving property owned by the member utility or municipality is be eligible for a loan. Eligible projects will result in energy efficiency impacts (electric or natural gas) or renewable energy production. Generally, projects will fall into one of three categories: standard energy efficiency projects, strategic energy efficiency projects, and renewable energy projects.

Standard energy efficiency projects must have an energy cost payback of eight years or less and meet all other eligibility criteria defined by applicable WPPI incentive programs (e.g., the Efficiency Improvement Incentive Program, Utility & Municipal Building Incentives Program) or applicable statewide programs (e.g., Wisconsin Focus on Energy, Michigan Energy Optimization). Appropriate projects may include:

• Interior/exterior building lighting upgrades
• HVAC equipment or system upgrades
• Motors, pumps and drive systems
• Building shell improvements (e.g., insulation)
• New construction design improvements (e.g., daylighting, reflective roof, building orientation)
• Water or wastewater treatment process improvements
• LED traffic signals
• Distribution system loss reduction

Certain projects with long-term or less defined energy efficiency impacts may also qualify if they help to achieve strategic joint action business objectives. These projects may not have an eight year or less energy cost payback. Appropriate strategic projects currently approved for eligibility include:

• Energy assessment services or feasibility studies to identify specific measures
• Building commissioning and retro-commissioning services
• LEED certification fees and related consulting services
• Energy efficient street lights
• Advanced metering infrastructure (electric and water) in conjunction with dynamic pricing or time-based rates consistent with the Smart Metering/Smart Grid Task Force recommendations
• Neighborhood electric and plug-in hybrid electric fleet vehicles
• Initiatives identified by the ITAG and approved by the Executive Committee through the Harris/Northstar/CIS strategy development process, including CIS upgrades and accounting system upgrades in conjunction with a CIS upgrade.

Renewable energy projects located in member communities that are owned by the member municipality or utility and are used for demonstration purposes or to meet the community’s needs are eligible for a loan. These projects do not require an eight year payback. WPPI Energy will receive all renewable energy attributes from renewable energy projects implemented under this program.

Loan projects that would otherwise be eligible for incentives under other WPPI Energy programs will remain eligible for such incentives. Projects must be approved by WPPI prior to the member’s final decision to proceed.

The loan application outlines all of the steps involved in the application process.   Energy Services Managers work with members to identify projects that will qualify for the loan program.