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Eagle County and Walking Mountain Science Center have renewed a long-running partnership for the nonprofit to run the county’s climate action programs.

The agreement — at a nearly $1.25 million annual cost — covers staff expenses, services and incentives for Energy Smart Colorado, ReEnergize Eagle County and the Climate Action Collaborative.

During a Feb. 11 presentation, county climate action manager John Gitchell told the Eagle County Board of Commissioners about the ReEnergize program. That program, which has been used for several years in Garfield County, was introduced to Eagle County in 2024. The program is aimed at income-qualified households to improve the energy efficiency of homes. The program is run through the Northwest Colorado ߣÏÈÉú of Governments, which performs efficiency audits and does improvements. The goal for this year is 100 applications with 60 improvements. Those improvements should result in a reduction of 360 tons of greenhouse gases.

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The program is available at no cost to those earning up to 150% of the area median income. Gitchell said the qualifying income is $156,000 per year for a two-person household and $195,000 per year for a four-person household.

The challenge, Gitchell said, is meeting the demand.

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The long-running Energy Smart program continues in 2025. That program’s goal is providing 190 discounted assessments, energy efficiency coaching and 170 residential rebates for energy improvements.

Those rebates are capped at $1,000 per single-family home and $5,000 per multi-family building. The goal for that program is a reduction of 500 tons of greenhouse gases. Rebates are available for air sealing, insulation, heat pumps and other improvements.

Gitchell said that program since 2010 is now available in 20 counties, and has funded more than 5,000 projects, saving more than $6 million per year in utility costs.

“It’s a climate action machine,” Gitchell said.

The cost of the program works out to roughly $1,500 per ton of greenhouse gas reduced.

Commissioner Matt Scherr acknowledged that seems expensive. But, he added, the reduction brings benefits beyond just the reduction in greenhouse gases, including health benefits to residents.

Commissioner Jeanne McQueeney noted that improvements can build upon one another. She said that an energy assessment eventually led her to installing solar panels on her home. Those panels now help charge her car, she said.

To learn more about the county’s energy efficiency programs, go to the on Walking Mountains’ website.