The 2023 Solar, Energy Efficiency, & Lighting (SEEL) program provides grant funding and technical assistance for nonprofits, community organizations, and small businesses to improve building efficiency and install solar. Eligible projects for funding under the 2023 SEEL program fall into two application tracks: energy efficiency or solar grants. Each type of grant has different funding amounts. Details are listed below: 

Energy Efficient Grants 

• $3,000 Energy Efficient Assessment - The energy assessment, performed by IFF, is valued at $3,000 and the cost of the assessment is sponsored by the City of Bloomington
• $10,000 Matching Grant - The City of Bloomington will provide $10,000 grants as a cost share to help cover energy efficiency project costs. Additional utility rebates may be available depending on the facility and project type. 

Solar Grants 

• $25,000 Grant & Solar Assessment - The City of Bloomington will provide $25,000 grants to help cover solar project costs. Solar assessments and installations will be completed by our program manager, MPI Solar, and organizations can utilize the 30% federal tax credit. 

Applications are accepted on rolling basis with deadlines for Cohorts 2 and 3 on May 15th and August 24th respectively. If you would like to learn more about how to apply or which types of organizations are eligible, CLICK HERE. 

“But at the core of it, we have to be centered on what we’re trying to accomplish. And I think sometimes, I see in our community—I see some challenges.”  - Cook President Pete Yonkman at the  February Governor’s Luncheon.  

​The Chamber is set for our next Community Conversation luncheon “Working Better, Together” on Tuesday, April 4th at the Fountain Square Ballroom. The impetus of this topic was the lack of progress on many critical issues that plague the community.  These range from housing, convention center expansion, and justice reform to annexation. It is easy to point fingers, but harder to take the lead, and confront these challenges.

What these endeavors require is a certain sacrifice and compromise among all the parties.  The basis of progress has to be “trust”.  Too often I have witnessed what appears to be clashes over territory.  The greater good becomes more about protecting one’s self-interest. This goes beyond the strained city-county relations.  We lack real champions to move the process along that is inclusive of all stakeholders.  One cannot be a leader if the communication channels are not open.
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This community remains rich in resources. We have the tax base, the talent, and the drive to accomplish far more than we have in the last five or so years. What how this luncheon provides is a sense of what has gone wrong and how we fix it.