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No-Cost Assistance Programs

Sustainable CT is excited to provide a variety of no-cost assistance programs to communities working on Sustainable CT actions. We’ve tried to keep the requirements to access these opportunities low, but be sure to review what is needed before you apply. If you have any questions about the programs or eligibility, contact [email protected].

Professional Engineering Support to Verify Energy Star Certification

Sustainable CT is pleased to partner with Eversource Energy and United Illuminating to provide free professional engineering support to registered Sustainable CT communities within the utility company service territories. Registered towns in these service territories may request this support to verify Energy Star building certification for municipal and Board of Education buildings that have an Energy Star score of 75 or higher. This documentation can be used to earn certification points under sub-action 7.3.1 Achieve High Energy Performance for Individual Buildings. Take advantage of this free opportunity by sending an email expressing your interest to [email protected].

If your community needs assistance with benchmarking and/or utilizing the Energy Star Portfolio Manager program, Sustainable CT has partnered with the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology's SmartBuildings CT Program to provide support. For more information see Benchmark and Track Municipal Energy Use. 
 
Actions Targeted:

Participating Partners:

  • Eversource Energy

  • United Illuminating
     

Free Technical Support: Homelessness Prevention

The Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness will assist towns with implementing Sustainable CT actions in its Effective, Compassionate Homelessness Prevention category. Please contact [email protected] to arrange free technical support.

Actions Targeted: 

Participating Partners:

  • Connecticut Coalition to End Homelessness

Get Started on Streamlining Solar Permitting in Your Community

Sustainable CT is pleased to partner with the Great Plains Institute and Cadmus to offer technical assistance to communities to pursue recognition in the national SolSmart designation program. SolSmart recognizes local governments that have taken steps to address barriers to solar energy and provides no-cost technical assistance to accelerate the development of local solar energy markets. Through this no-cost assistance program, technical service providers will assist communities that are registered in Sustainable CT to lay out a path to achieve designation in SolSmart. More information on this resource is available.

Actions Targeted: Streamline Solar Permitting for Small Solar Installations

Participating Partner:

  • Great Plains Institute

  • Cadmus

Host a Community Resilience Building Workshop

Host a Community Resilience Building Workshop in your community to complete Action Assess Climate Vulnerability (10 points). Municipalities may also submit your workshop report for Action Implement Your Own Sustainability Action for an additional 10 points. Letters of interest will be accepted on a rolling basis. Workshops will take place before April 30, 2024. More information on this resource is available.

Actions Targeted:

Participating Partner:

  • The Nature Conservancy

Work with a Sustainable CT Equity Coach

Work closely with a Sustainable CT Equity Coach to apply the Sustainable CT Equity Toolkit to another program action to satisfy Action Optimize for Equity (10 points).

Action Targeted: Optimize for Equity

Benchmark and Track Municipal Energy Use

Sustainable CT is pleased to partner with Eversource Energy, United Illuminating, and the Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology’s SmartBuildings CT program to provide energy benchmarking and tracking support to registered Sustainable CT communities within the utility company service territories. Municipalities will be selected on a first-come, first-serve basis. More information on this resource is available.

Actions Targeted:

Participating Partners:

  • Eversource

  • United Illuminating

  • Connecticut Center for Advanced Technology's SmartBuildings CT Program

UConn Technical Assistance for Brownfields Program

UConn TAB offers no-cost technical assistance to New England municipalities on an ongoing basis. UConn TAB, supported by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, helps municipalities to advance investigation, cleanup and redevelopment of sites, protect public health, and promote environmental justice. The UConn TAB team provides a wide range of services, including document and grant proposal review, guidance with regulatory, technical and economic issues, planning and organization of community engagement actions, and continuing education on diverse topics related to brownfields.

For more information, visit https://tab.program.uconn.edu/.

Action Targeted: Support Redevelopment of Brownfield Sites

Participating Partner:

  • UConn Technical Assistance for Brownfields

CDFA Brownfields Technical Assistance Program

The CDFA Brownfields Technical Assistance Program is made possible by a grant from the U.S. EPA and is intended to provide technical assistance and resources on brownfields redevelopment financing. Council of Development Finance Agencies (CDFA) and partners provide resources and expertise related to revolving loan funds, tax credits, tax increment finance and other effective financing tools.

Action Targeted: Support Redevelopment of Brownfield Sites

Participating Partner:

  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

FREE Technical Support: Encourage Smart Commuting

CTRides will assist towns with implementing the Sustainable CT Action Encourage Smart Commuting, including providing review of municipal telework policies and providing free consultative support on best practices. Please contact [email protected] to arrange free technical support.

Action Targeted: Encourage Smart Commuting

Participating Partner:

  • CTRides

Energize CT Assistance for Strategic Energy Management (SEM) 

In this coordinated, long-term No-Cost Assistance program, municipalities in Eversource Energy and Avangrid territories receive free support to develop and implement a Strategic Energy Management (SEM) program. Participating municipalities will work with the utilities to activate energy teams in town, track energy performance in municipal, Board of Education buildings and water/wastewater systems, and engage employees to maximize energy savings. The program is very flexible, so if you already have components in place, SEM can help expand on those! Take advantage of this free opportunity by sending an email expressing your interest to [email protected].

Actions Targeted:

Participating Partners:

  • Eversource Energy

  • Avangrid