Applications and Information about the IMEA Electric Efficiency Program

Click on the links below to access the documents that serve as the pre- and final applications for incentives for electric efficiency projects in IMEA member municipalities. These are in PDF format. You will need to download them, complete them manually, and make a new PDF to e-mail to the IMEA Electric Efficiency Program Administrator.

NOTE: ALL PROJECTS NEED PRE-APPROVAL. Projects that hope to receive an incentive should not begin until they receive a Notice to Proceed and have had a pre-inspection (if required by the member municipality). Projects can take as long as four weeks to earn pre-approval. However, during busy periods (e.g., in the first few weeks of the program year) the pre-approval process may take longer. Applicants are advised to give plenty of lead time and be as flexible as possible with project start dates.

Applications for Commercial/Industrial Customers and Public-Sector Facilities Served by an IMEA Member Municipal Electric System

Applications for Projects at IMEA Member Municipal Utilities and/or IMEA Member Municipal Facilities ONLY

Tips for Applicants

A SUMMARY OF HOW THIS PROGRAM WORKS

NOTE: Applicants who want to receive an incentive for an electric efficiency project should not begin the project until they have received a Notice to Proceed (see items 5 and 6 below). Pre-approval is required for all projects.

1. The applicant fills out the appropriate application (Pre-Application) and gathers the additional required materials that constitute a complete application (see the checklist on page 3 of the pre-application). Before filing an application, IMEA suggests contacting the program administrator, Rodd Whelpley (217-789-4632 or rwhelpley@imea.org), to check on a Municipality’s funding availability. Funds are limited and go fast in several IMEA municipalities.

2. The applicant sends all materials constituting a complete Pre-Application to Rodd Whelpley at the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency (rwhelpley@imea.org), as a single PDF file. No more than one application per e-mail.

3. Rodd Whelpley will review the pre-application and make any necessary adjustments or corrections. Once it is in order, he will pass the Pre-Application to the IMEA Board Member or other designated official representing the applicant’s municipality.

4. Municipal officials will review the Pre-Application (and may make any necessary adjustments or corrections). Municipal officials will determine the incentive amount they will offer. This amount may be any amount from $0 up to the amount for which the project qualifies. Municipal officials will communicate their decision to Rodd Whelpley at IMEA. Municipal officials may set additional caps, limits and rules that are in addition to those listed in the general IMEA applications.

5. Rodd Whelpley will send the applicant a Notice to Proceed. The Notice to Proceed sets aside funding solely for the project. Also with the Notice to Proceed, Rodd will communicate any instructions from the city concerning pre-inspections. (In most cases, IMEA does not require a pre-inspection, but some member municipalities require them.)

6. NOTE: Applicants who want to receive an incentive for an electric efficiency project should not begin the project until they have received a Notice to Proceed and have had a pre-inspection (if required). Pre-approval is required for all projects.

7. The applicant does the project (and, if necessary, has a post-inspection).

8. The applicant gathers the necessary materials that constitute a complete final application (see the checklist on page 4 of the application) and sends the final application to Rodd Whelpley (rwhelpley@imea.org) as a single PDF file. GENERALLY, for projects that don’t change from how they were described in the pre-application, we make a short cut, and the final application is comprised only of sending copies of all final and paid, itemized bills associated with the project preferably as a single PDF file.

9. Rodd Whelpley reviews the final application and makes any necessary adjustments or corrections.

10. IMEA begins the payment process. Payments will be made by a direct deposit into an account specified by the applicant/payee.


GENERAL ELIGIBILITY

This Electric Efficiency program is available to the membership (and members’ retail customers) of the Illinois Municipal Electric Agency (IMEA). It is administered and funded through IMEA.  The program runs from early May through April 15 of the following year. Funds are allocated to IMEA members based on a prorated share of their electric purchases from the IMEA. Commercial/industrial and public-sector facilities served by members can apply for funds using the appropriate FY2022-23 application forms.

Eligible projects must be located in Illinois and receive electric service from the IMEA or an IMEA Member. Projects must produce electricity savings through efficiency improvements in commercial, industrial or public-sector buildings, equipment, or processes. Ineligible projects include repairs of existing equipment, fuel switching, new electric generation or those projects solely related to demand response or demand control. Project paybacks must occur before the projected end of the equipment life.

Incentive Awards. The total incentive cannot exceed 75 percent of the total project cost. IMEA Member municipalities are free to set any additional caps or incentive restrictions. IMEA reserves the right to review applications, withhold funding, cancel funding or negotiate incentive levels. Bid prices must be in line with current market conditions for similar projects/conditions. See applications for the eligible incentive levels of specific electric efficiency measures.

Acceptable Equipment/Measures. See applications for details on the types of energy efficient equipment that are eligible to receive incentives.

Payment Schedule/Reporting and Project Monitoring. The Notice to Proceed (sent upon approval of the pre-application) will specify the conditions of payment and the payment schedule. Incentive recipients will allow officials from the IMEA Member municipality and IMEA officials access to their site to verify project issues. Energy savings numbers will be shared with IMEA (for public release unless specifically noted as confidential or proprietary).

Ownership/Use of Equipment. Equipment must remain in place for at least the lesser of five years or “useful life.”

IMEA Not Liable. Incentive recipients shall hold the IMEA Member and the IMEA harmless from any and all claims, demands, and actions based upon or arising out of any services performed by the Incentive recipients or by their agents or employees under a grant agreement.

Indemnity. The Incentive recipients agrees to assume all risks of loss and to indemnify and hold the IMEA Member and the IMEA, their officers, agents and employees, harmless from and against any and all liabilities, demands, claims, damages, suits, costs, fees, and expenses, incidents thereto, for injuries or death to persons and for loss of, damage to, or destruction of property because of the incentive recipient's negligence, intentional acts or omissions. In the event of any demand or claim, the IMEA may elect to defend any such demand or claim against the IMEA and will be entitled to be paid by the incentive recipients for all costs and damages.

Term and Application. Applications under this program will be accepted on an ongoing basis, subject to funding availability. Applications shall be printed or typed on the current approved forms and/or worksheets. Applications must be complete and submitted in the correct fashion (see the Pre-Application and Final Application checklists contained in the program applications) to receive consideration.

Subject to a programmatic change enacted by the IMEA Board of Directors, approved projects will have reserved funds until the end of the IMEA fiscal year or until a grant expiration date as noted on a project’s Notice to Proceed document. A final application, reflecting the measures and equipment actually installed, must be submitted within 45 days of project completion. Project documentation, such as copies of dated and itemized invoices for the purchase and installation of the measures and/or product specification sheets, is required.

Applications will be screened by IMEA and the member community. The IMEA member will have final say as to the priority of project funding in its community. Decisions on project priority and funding awarded to any project will be communicated to the IMEA through the IMEA Board Member representing the member community.

Incentive Payments. Final application, reflecting the measures and equipment actually installed, must be submitted within 45 days of project completion. Project documentation, such as copies of dated, itemized invoices for the purchase and installation of the measures and/or product specification sheets, is required. The IMEA will review the final application. Applications that satisfy the review will be processed upon IMEA approval. The incentive will be the amount for which the project qualifies up to the amount that was obligated for the project in the project’s Notice to Proceed, subject to funding availability.