title
ORDER OF THE NEW HAVEN BOARD OF ALDERS AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR OF THE CITY OF NEW HAVEN TO APPLY FOR AND ACCEPT THE HEAT PUMP ACCELERATOR COMMUNITY GRANT AWARD FROM THE NEW ENGLAND HEAT PUMP ACCELERATOR IN AN AMOUNT OF UP TO $500,000 TO INCREASE HEAT PUMP ADOPTION IN LOW- AND MODERATE- INCOME HOUSEHOLDS IN NEW HAVEN.
body
WHEREAS, more than half of New Haven households are energy cost-burdened, spending more than 6% of their income on energy bills; and
WHEREAS, energy efficiency improvements are shown to lower energy bills, improve the health of residents, and strengthen the resilience and increase the comfort of homes; and
WHEREAS, cold climate heat pumps and heat pump water heaters have the potential to reduce energy costs and emissions associated with legacy heating, cooling, and domestic hot water systems; and
WHEREAS, the City of New Haven and New England Smart Energy have helped over 500 New Haven households in one to four family homes to complete energy assessments through their Energy Efficient Elm City campaign; and
WHEREAS, as of July, 2026, this campaign has supported the remediation of 44 pre-weatherization barriers (mold, asbestos, knob and tube wiring, etc.), the insulation of 45 homes, the installation of triple pane windows in 31 homes, and the installation of 30 energy efficient heating and cooling system upgrades; and
WHEREAS, many homes which have received energy efficiency improvements are strong candidates for the installation of heat pumps and/or heat pump water heaters; and
WHEREAS, the New Haven Office of Climate and Sustainability recognizes the need to increase community awareness of and access to available incentives and programs for improving energy efficiency; and
WHEREAS, the City, New England Smart Energy, and community partners such as Community Action Agency of New Haven will work together to both reengage Energy Efficient Elm City participants and engage new residents to complete energy efficiency improvements and install heat pumps and heat pump water heaters; and
WHEREAS, funding is available through the New England Heat Pump Accelerator Community Grants program to reduce cost, access, and implementation barriers limiting the adoption of cold‑climate heat pumps and heat pump water heaters; and
WHEREAS, after completing energy efficiency improvements, New England Smart Energy will utilize grant funding to reduce or eliminate out of pocket costs for low- and moderate income- residents to complete heat pump and heat pump water heater installations.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT ORDERED by the Board of Alders of the City of New Haven that the Mayor of the City of New Haven, on behalf of the City, is hereby authorized to apply for and accept any funds associated with the grant mentioned herein from the New England Heat Pump Accelerator; and
BE IT FURTHER ORDERED by the Board of Alders of the City of New Haven that the Mayor of the City of New Haven is authorized to execute said application for funding for an amount up to $500,000 and to execute any revisions, amendments or modifications to said contract and to sign any associated agreements with contractors, including New England Smart Energy, and other documents, any of which may have a term of longer than one year and any state agreements or agreements with the state’s regional program implementer, Vermont Energy Efficiency Investment Corporation, which may include indemnification provisions, that the Mayor deems desirable or necessary, including any subsequent amendments to agreements, in order to accept grant funding and carry out the associated grant program activities.