On December 12, 2009, in partnership with the cities of Chicago and Rockford and on behalf of our seven-county region, CMAP submitted a $75 million proposal for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Energy Efficiency Retrofit Ramp-up program.  The grant would help fund a strategy we’re calling the “Chicago Region Retrofit Ramp-up” (CR3), which takes a comprehensive approach to facilitating retrofits of commercial and residential buildings across the region.  The regional strategy would create efficiencies and economies of scale by improving access to information and financing and by building a strong workforce to support retrofits.  We believe CR3 is a groundbreaking example of regional collaboration, and it exemplifies the strong local leadership and commitment to becoming a more energy-efficient region.

If funded by DOE, CR3 would result in a viable local market that maximizes the number of retrofits throughout metropolitan Chicago, is economically sustainable for years to come, and is scalable and replicable elsewhere.  In recent years, the CR3 partners have created a solid base of research into the region’s energy consumption, while developing practical strategies for improving efficiency.  The proposal leverages more than $911 million in local resources and responds directly to the DOE program’s goal of making strategic investments that will help the nation to achieve energy independence and take a leadership role in addressing climate change.  We’re optimistic about the proposal’s chances of being funded, and CMAP would like to thank all of those involved in developing the CR3 strategy.