Explanation
Background: Ordinance No. 1490-2024 authorized the Director of the Department of Public Utilities to apply for, accept, and execute a grant agreement for the U.S. Department of Energy (US DOE) Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program and to execute a subrecipient agreement with the Human Service Chamber of Franklin County.
Ordinance 1490-2024 states that the program will be offered to nonprofit organizations; however, on January 30, 2026, the US DOE approved a scope change for the City 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 buildings in low-income communities will be prioritized. Additionally, the Columbus Region Green Fund will replace the Human Service Chamber as the subrecipient.
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 update the subrecipient and 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 Ordinance 1490-2024 to expand the scope of services for the US DOE-funded program and to change the identity of the subrecipient; and to declare an emergency. ($0.00)
Body
WHEREAS, Ordinance 1490-2024, passed by Columbus City Council on June 3, 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 the Columbus Region Green Fund to replace the Human Service Chamber of Franklin County as the subrecipient to administer the program; and
WHEREAS, the scope of services to be offered through the program has been expanded to include commercial and multi-family residential buildings larger than 25,000 square feet regardless of ownership, which modification was 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 amend Ordinance 1490-2024, passed by Columbus City Council on June 3, 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 1490-2024, is hereby amended as follows, with additions in underline and deletions in strikethrough:
Background: The U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block 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 is anticipated to receive $778,900.00 through an EECBG formula grant and will use funds to enter into a subrecipient agreement with the Human Service Chamber of Franklin County Columbus Region Green Fund to administer a commercial energy audit and technical assistance program for nonprofit organizations providing health and human services to residents targeting commercial and multi-family residential buildings over 25,000 square feet.
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 1490-2024 is hereby repealed.
SECTION 3. That the title of Ordinance 1490-2024 is hereby amended as follows, with additions in underline and deletions in strikethrough:
Title
To authorize the Director of Public Utilities to apply for a U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG); to authorize the acceptance and execution of the grant with the U.S. Department of Energy; to authorize a subrecipient agreement with the Human Service Chamber of Franklin County Columbus Region Green Fund to administer said grant on behalf of the Department of Public Utilities for a commercial energy audit and technical assistance program for nonprofit organizations; to authorize the expenditure of any awarded funds and the refund of any unused funds; and to declare an emergency. ($0.00).
SECTION 4. That the existing title of Ordinance 1490-2024 is hereby repealed.
SECTION 5. That the recitals of Ordinance 1490-2024 are hereby amended as follows, with additions in underline and deletions in strikethrough:
WHEREAS, the U.S. Department of Energy (USDOE) provides funding for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program (EECBG), designed to assist states, local governments, and Tribes in implementing strategies to reduce energy use, to reduce fossil fuel emissions, and to improve energy efficiency; and
WHEREAS, the USDOE’s Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program will provide the City up to $778,900.00 in formula grant funds; and
WHEREAS, the City requests the use of EECBG funding to provide commercial building energy audits and technical assistance to nonprofit organizations to facilitate energy and cost-saving measures and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in furtherance of the Columbus Climate Action Plan; and
WHEREAS, the City requests authorization to enter into a sub recipient agreement with the Human Service Chamber of Franklin County Columbus Region Green Fund for administration of the energy audits and technical assistance;
WHEREAS, it is necessary to authorize the Director of the Department of Public Utilities to submit an application, execute grant agreements, accept and expend grant funds, and issue refunds if necessary after final accounting of the approved project;
WHEREAS, an emergency exists in the usual daily operation of the Department of Public Utilities in that it is immediately necessary to authorize the Director to apply for Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program (EECBG) funds and to execute a grant agreement and a sub recipient agreement as soon as said grant funds are anticipated to be awarded in July 2024, all for the immediate preservation of the public health, peace, property, safety, and welfare; and
SECTION 6. That the existing recitals of Ordinance 1490-2024 are hereby repealed.
SECTION 7. That Section 2 of Ordinance 1490-2024 is hereby amended as follows, with additions in underline and deletions in strikethrough:
SECTION 2. That the Director of Public Utilities be and hereby is authorized to execute a subrecipient agreement with Human Service Chamber of Franklin County the Columbus Region Green Fund for administration of the grant funds.
SECTION 8. That existing Section 2 of Ordinance 1490-2024 is hereby repealed.
SECTION 9. That all provisions of Ordinance 1490-2024 not expressly repealed herein shall remain in full force and effect.
SECTION 10. 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.