MAPC

In the wake of a national economic recession and insufficient federal and state energy funding, many municipalities are challenged by the lack of energy staffing capacity for sustaining and expanding local energy efforts.

Shared energy staffing services provide an innovative and flexible solution to help communities with limited resources support and build energy staffing capacity, while promoting regional collaboration in clean energy efforts.

How it Works

MAPC helps to build partnerships among communities that share similar interests and energy staffing needs. As part of the program, MAPC provides technical assistance with the following steps to ensure all community partners’ interests and needs are met:

1. Seeking Municipal Partners: MAPC facilitates collaboration among communities to discuss their interests and needs regarding energy staffing capacity, as well as their financial resources for pursuing energy staffing services.
2. Identifying a Suitable Regionalization Model: MAPC provides assistance to help community partners identify the most appropriate regionalization models based on energy interests and staffing needs:
   • Contract for Services Model – One municipality hires or hosts an energy staff person and shares the position with one or multiple municipalities on an as-needed or pre-determined basis.
   • Host Agency Model – A host agency (i.e., MAPC) hires one or multiple energy staff persons and municipalities to provide staff services on an as-needed or pre-determined basis.
   • Outside Vendor Model – Municipalities pay for services from an outside vendor.
   • Energy District Model – Municipalities create an independent energy district or agency, where energy staff work with municipalities on an as-needed or pre-determined basis.
3. Energy Manager Recruitment: MAPC helps communities determine the scope and cost of the energy staffing services, as well as provides technical assistance in negotiating and drafting the Inter-Municipal Agreement (IMA).