Denver is extending cold weather shelter from Thursday, Feb. 13 and will remain open as long as weather conditions are met.
The Renewable District Thermal Incentive Program provides funding to transition to zero-emission thermal energy systems. These systems can be ground-source, water-source, or multi-source systems. They will provide space/water heating and cooling in homes, businesses, and communities. Funding is available to support:
This program supports Denver’s goal to reach zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040.
Denver is working towards a zero-emission future by 2040. Natural gas combustion accounted for nearly 22% of Denver’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2022 and increased 5% since 2018. Zero-emission ground-source, water-source, and multi-source thermal energy systems are needed as sustainable alternatives to fossil-gas based heating systems in Denver. Due to up-front costs, the adoption of such thermal energy systems has proven to be limited.
The Office of Climate Action, Sustainability and Resiliency (CASR) intends to meet Denver's decarbonization goals by offering a monetary incentive to support scoping studies, detailed design studies, implementation projects, or a combination of these options for eligible thermal energy systems. The eligible thermal energy options included in the program, applicant types, and the levels of incentives offered by will be updated regularly as market conditions change.
We have determined that the incentive program aligns with the Legislative Declaration establishing the Office of Climate Action, Sustainability, and Resiliency (Sec. 2-404 D.R.M.C.) as well as the Permitted Uses of Revenue in the Climate Protection Fund (Sec. 2-405 of the D.R.M.C.).
Eligibility determinations will be made at the discretion of CASR to allow for flexibility to advance the intent and objectives of the incentive program.
CASR will prioritize projects in under-resourced and disproportionately impacted communities, as well as projects that would not otherwise occur without incentive funding.
Applications are completed in two steps:
Step 1 applications may be submitted on a rolling basis. Step 1 applicants will be notified if they are invited to submit a Step 2 application and will receive a direct link to the submission form.
Please upload a concept paper including the following information:
If a Step 1 application is approved to move to Step 2, the applicant can choose any of the following Step 2 application deadlines to submit to:
CASR reserves the right to review and issue awards for Step 2 project applications as they are received on a rolling basis.
Step 2 Application Required Document Uploads:
All required forms and supporting documentation must be included at the time the application is submitted. Please review the Sample Agreement with the city’s standard language and insurance requirements before submitting your application.
Applications will be evaluated according to the criteria described below, with the weights allocated to each criterion.
The city may request an interview as part of the evaluation process. Any such interviews will take place after CASR has conducted an initial review of submitted applications.
The city reserves the right to negotiate the total contract amount and award all, some, or none of the requested award. The city is not liable for any costs or expenses arising out of preparation of this application and selected applicants may not include any of these costs or expenses as part of their fee, rate, or charge for performing work under the contract.
CASR encourages applicants to utilize small-, minority-, and woman-owned businesses on their project team and, where independent contractors are needed, consider utilizing individuals who identify as people of color, Indigenous peoples, LGBTQ+ people, disabled people, and people whose household income is below the area median.
CASR will make award determinations by the end of each quarter. CASR reserves the right to not award any applications during a quarterly award period.
Selected applicants will receive an award notice via email and should be prepared to collaborate with the city to establish a formal written agreement using the form of the Sample Agreement linked in the Submit an Application section. The agreement will not be effective or binding on the city until it has been fully executed by all required signatories of the City and County of Denver. Note that contracts more than $500,000 require City Council approval and will take longer to process. Contracts will contain reporting and milestone requirements that must be satisfied before the city will reimburse project costs.
Maximum annual incentive award expenditure is $5 million.
Applications may be submitted on a rolling basis.