City and County of Denver Partners, BlocPower and Energy Outreach Colorado, Collaborate to Implement a New Healthy Homes Program

DENVER and NEW YORK, Oct. 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- BlocPower, Energy Outreach Colorado (EOC) and the City and County of Denver's Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency (CASR) have agreed to a three-year partnership as part of the Healthy Homes Program to expand equitable building electrification efforts in the City and County of Denver. BlocPower and EOC were selected after a competitive, rigorous process CASR developed earlier in 2022, approved by the Denver City Council and signed by Mayor Michael B. Hancock.

Through the Healthy Homes Program, CASR, BlocPower and EOC will decarbonize 200 low- to moderate-income households, delivering the health and economic benefits of building electrification where they are needed most. Work will focus on building envelope improvements, access to solar and community solar gardens, and replacing gas appliances with electric induction stoves and heat pump heating and cooling systems specifically designed for cold climate performance. BlocPower will focus on multi-family buildings, while EOC will focus on income-qualified single family homes.

This program aligns extremely well with Denver's climate ambitions to eliminate greenhouse gas emissions by 2040 by touching on so many of Denver's climate and equity priorities and strategies: job creation, investments in renewable energy, climate justice, resilience and adaptation to a changing climate, and direct upgrades to homes to reduce emissions.

The program also aims to measure public health impacts by conducting indoor air quality tests and resident health surveys before and after building improvements.

Several recent studies have linked fossil fuel appliances to hazardous indoor air pollutants that cause respiratory illness and early death, pollution levels that would be illegal if measured outside, and socioeconomic disparities in concentrations of fine particulate matter. In addressing indoor air quality through electrification, this program will create clean resilient homes for a warming climate, all while decarbonizing Denver's buildings and homes.

"BlocPower is committed to making buildings smarter, greener and healthier while ensuring decarbonization upgrades are affordable for all Americans," said founder and CEO Donnel Baird. "The only serious path to addressing the climate crisis is through prioritizing marginalized communities, and we applaud Denver for recognizing this and taking real climate action."

"Our residents asked the city to take urgent action to address climate change when they voted to approve our Climate Protection Fund, and working with BlocPower and Energy Outreach Colorado on this important strategy to reduce emissions is aligned with that mission," said Denver Mayor Michael B. Hancock.

BlocPower has partnered with Oakland, CA on a similar initiative and is advancing citywide electrification programs in Ithaca, NY and Menlo Park, CA .

As part of its work in Denver, BlocPower will work with local contractors to advance green workforce development and facilitate community conversations, outreach and education for local residents on building electrification.

Interested single family residents or homeowners in the City and County of Denver can learn more by calling 303.226.5065 or emailing [email protected]. An EOC staff member will be available to help you apply over the phone Monday - Thursday, 9 am- 5 pm.

BlocPower is a Brooklyn-based climate technology leader rapidly greening American cities. Since its founding in 2014, the company has completed energy projects in 1,200+ buildings and delivers results ahead of schedule and under budget. BlocPower utilizes its proprietary software for analysis, leasing, project management, and monitoring of urban clean energy projects and its customers are saving 20-40% on their energy bills each year. The company is backed by the world's top investors, including Goldman Sachs, Kapor Capital, Microsoft's Climate Innovation Fund, Andreessen Horowitz and American Family Insurance Institute for Corporate and Social Impact. In 2022, Fast Company named BlocPower the #4 Most Innovative Company in the World. For all press inquiries, reach out to [email protected].

For over 30 years, Energy Outreach Colorado (EOC) has been a leading expert on issues impacting income-qualified energy consumers and how best to meet the needs of our state's diverse population. EOC leads a network of industry, state, and local partners to Support, Stabilize and Sustain income-qualifying Coloradans so they can afford their home energy needs in an ever-changing energy market.

Contact

Winna MacLaren, Director of Communications and Engagement
Denver's Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency
[email protected]
720-648-2043

Elizabeth Byington for BlocPower
[email protected]
631-294-3672

SOURCE BlocPower