Explanation
Background: Ordinance No. 2845-2024, as amended by Ordinance No. 3393-2024 and 3026-2025, authorized the Director of the Department of Public Utilities to execute a Subrecipient Agreement - Not-For-Profit Service Contract with the Columbus Region Green Fund. This contract will authorize the subrecipient to implement an energy audit and technical assistance program funded by the City’s US Department of Energy (US DOE) Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG grant) award.
Ordinance 2845-2024 states that the program will be offered only to nonprofit organizations; however, on January 30, 2026, the US DOE approved a scope change to remove this eligibility limitation. The program will instead target commercial and multi-family residential buildings larger than 25,000 square feet regardless of ownership. Nonprofits, affordable housing, and building in low-income communities will be prioritized.
Emergency Justification:
Emergency action of this ordinance is requested because the program needs to be completed within the performance period of the US DOE Assistance Agreement, which ends in July of 2026. An extension may be requested but progress must be demonstrated.
Fiscal Impact
This ordinance will expand the scope of services offered through a US DOE EECBG grant currently appropriated to the Public Utilities Electricity Grant Fund 6316 in the amount of $778,900. No fiscal impact.
Title
To amend the Background section of Ordinance 2845-2024 to expand the scope of services for the US DOE-funded program; and to declare an emergency. ($0.00)
Body
WHEREAS, Ordinance 2845-2024, passed by Columbus City Council on November 18, 2024, authorized the Director of the Department of Public Utilities to administer an energy audit and technical assistance program for nonprofit organizations; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance 3393-2024 was passed by Columbus City Council on December 16, 2024, to correct administrative errors in Ordinance 2845-2024; and
WHEREAS, Ordinance 3026-2025 was passed by Columbus City Council on December 8, 2025, to authorize a new subrecipient to administer the program; and
WHEREAS, the scope of services to be offered through the program has been modified and approved by US DOE on January 30, 2026; and
WHEREAS an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Public Utilities in that it is immediately necessary to further amend Ordinance 2845-2024, passed by Columbus City Council on November 18, 2024, to meet the terms of the US DOE Assistance Agreement within the required performance period, all for the preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety, and welfare and,
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
SECTION 1. That the Background of Ordinance 2845-2024, as amended by Ordinance 3393-2024 and 3026-2025, is hereby amended as follows, with additions in underline and deletions in strikethrough:
Background: The U.S. Department of Energy accepted the Department of Public Utilities application for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Black Grant (EECBG) Program is designed to assist states, local governments, and Tribes in implementing strategies to reduce energy use, reduce fossil fuel emissions, and improve energy efficiency. The City of Columbus received $778,900.00 and will use these funds to enter into a subrecipient agreement with the Columbus Region Green Fund to administer a commercial an energy audit and technical assistance program for nonprofit organizations providing health and human services to residents.
The goals of the program are to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and facilitate energy and cost-saving measures for non-profit organizations serving the city’s low-income and disadvantaged communities. The energy audits and technical assistance will help building owners develop a plan to reduce energy use, and set up participants to take advantage of local, state, federal and philanthropic funding opportunities for implementation of energy-saving improvements.
SECTION 2. That the existing Background of Ordinance 2845-2024 and all references in the recitals of Ordinance No. 2845-2024 inconsistent with this ordinance are hereby repealed.
SECTION 3. That all provisions of Ordinance 2845-2024 not expressly repealed herein shall remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 4. That for the reason stated in the preamble hereto, which is hereby made a part hereof, this ordinance is hereby declared to be an emergency measure and shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage and approval by the Mayor, or ten days after passage if the Mayor neither approves nor vetoes the same.