The Michigan Infrastructure Office is getting the word out on the Elective Pay Ambassador Program (EPAP). This program is here locally in the Ann Arbor area with the Washtenaw 2030 District, who is acting as the local host organization.
This month it was announced, the Michigan Infrastructure Office (MIO) Technical Assistance Center (TAC), in partnership with the Michigan Infrastructure Council (MIC) and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE), will help organizations access reimbursements of 30 percent or more for their clean energy investments.
In announcing the program, the MIO said, “Michiganders from across the state have been selected as Elective Pay Ambassadors to help nonprofits, schools, local governments, Tribal Nations, houses of worship and other tax-exempt entities bring federal funding to Michigan’s communities.”
According to the announcement, the MIO “is responsible for organizing and executing Governor Whitmer’s vision for infrastructure, coordinating across state government, marshaling resources, and partnering with local officials, federal partners, and outside stakeholders to ensure resources sent to Michigan through BIL, also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), are used efficiently and effectively.”
The gist of the announcement is: Michigan’s Elective Pay Ambassador Program Makes It Easier for Entities to Access Federal Clean Energy Tax Credits.
By placing trained Ambassadors in trusted community organizations, we’re making it easier for eligible entities to understand the process, file for the tax credits, and receive the federal dollars they’ve earned,” Kris Brady, director of MIO TAC, said in the announcement. “Elective Pay offers real, tangible financial benefits for schools, local governments, nonprofits, and houses of worship, entities that are often balancing tight budgets while delivering essential services to their communities. This support helps communities lower costs, upgrade infrastructure, and keep more resources focused on the people they serve.”
After a competitive application process, the MIO TAC said it has awarded grants to seven nonprofits across Michigan that will host the Elective Pay Ambassadors. The Ambassadors’ job is simple but powerful: help community institutions access federal clean energy tax credits through Elective Pay, a mechanism that allows eligible organizations to receive reimbursements of up to 30 percent or more of their project costs.
The Ambassadors for Washtenaw 2030 District are Kim Heumann, a local government resilience specialist and Lissa Spitz, a longtime architect and sustainability advocate. The MIO said Ambassadors have begun receiving training on Elective Pay and will act as local experts, serving the Prosperity Region in which they are located.
“Despite the significant financial benefits of Elective Pay, awareness of this relatively new tool remains low, and many tax-exempt organizations face challenges navigating filing a tax return for the first time in order to claim the reimbursement,” the MIO announcement said. “The Ambassador program was created to close this gap and make the process easier for local leaders who are improving their communities by investing in clean energy technologies such as solar, energy storage, geothermal, and more.”
The Washtenaw 2030 District is a public-private-nonprofit collaborative working to reduce building related greenhouse gas emissions by 50-65 percent by 2030 and eliminating emissions by 2040 while increasing Washtenaw County’s competitiveness in the business environment and increasing owners’ return on investment.
The MIO said the program provides stipends to host organizations (nonprofits) that host Elective Pay Ambassadors who will host educational events on Elective Pay, raise awareness about MIO TAC’s Elective Pay resources and technical assistance services, and ensure Elective Pay is embedded in clean energy project planning. The EPAP will run for one year.
To learn more about the program and to contact an ambassador, go to https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/issues/michigan-infrastructure-office/elective-pay.
Photo: A solar farm. Image by Kev from Pixabay
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