By Emmy Deignan, Policy Associate, BCSE

After decades of relatively flat energy demand, the United States is suddenly experiencing skyrocketing energy use spurred by growth of artificial intelligence, data centers, electrification, and the onshoring of U.S. manufacturing. This growing demand threatens the reliability of our nation’s energy infrastructure and raises concerns of increased energy prices. Simply put, America needs more energy now to keep the lights on for homes and businesses.

As state policymakers, regulators, and energy companies seek to deploy an increasingly diverse mix of energy resources, public-private partnerships can ensure a secure, affordable, clean, and reliable energy future.

On June 25, BCSE President Lisa Jacobson joined the National Governors Association’s 2025 Roundtable on Aligning State Economic Development and Energy Planning. The roundtable convened state energy and economic development leaders alongside industry experts to identify solutions governors can deploy to ensure reliable and affordable energy for their states.

As a coalition of companies and trade associations that deploy clean energy and decarbonization solutions – with a sector focus on energy efficiency, natural gas, and renewable energy – BCSE represents the solution providers ready to answer this call.

A broad portfolio of commercially-available technologies is actively being deployed to meet surging demand and keep energy costs down – while also contributing to a cleaner, more reliable grid.

Here are 10 energy projects bringing economic growth to states across the country through innovative technologies and public-private partnerships:

 

 

Energy Efficiency Upgrades

 

1. Illinois: Trane’s University Campus Upgrades

Highlights:

• A combination of federal, state, utility, energy, and operational savings enabled financing for this project, with a guarantee on energy performance and cost savings
• Replicable across public and private buildings and campuses
• Role for states: Education to energy users and enabling state policy
• $78M savings over 20 years, 26% reduction in energy consumption

Over the course of 18 months, Trane and Northern Illinois University will upgrade the DeKalb campus, comprised of 50 buildings, with comprehensive energy savings solutions. By leveraging Energy Savings Performance Contracting (ESPC), this budget-neutral approach will support NIU’s technical, social, environmental, and financial goals, delivering long-term benefits to the community while integrating these elements into campus life, strategic planning, and decision-making.

 

2. Maryland: Sustainable Historic Factory Retrofit

Highlights:

• State tax credits prioritizing sustainable building standards enabled financing for the project
• Replicable across public and private buildings and campuses
• Role for states: Education to energy users and enabling state policy
• Projected to conserve 148.9 MWh of electricity each year

The Packing House adaptive reuse project transformed a historic Maryland factory into a LEED-certified commercial space. By revitalizing the Phillips Packing Company Plant F Building, The Packing House was eligible for Maryland’s Heritage Structure Rehabilitation Tax Credit program covering 20% of eligible rehabilitation expenses. In addition, the project was awarded a bonus 5% tax credit for achieving LEED Gold certification. The Packing House worked to minimize embodied carbon by reusing the existing building structure and achieved high performance in energy efficiency and water conservation.

 

3. Missouri: Johnson Controls’ Building Portfolio Improvements for Housing

Highlights:

• Federal grants and loans enabled financing for the project, with a guarantee on energy performance and cost savings
• Replicable across public and private buildings and campuses
• Role for states: Education to energy users and enabling state policy
• $200,000 annual savings, 32% emissions reduction, 40% water consumption reduction

The West Plains Housing Authority (WPHA) in Missouri partnered with Johnson Controls to launch a comprehensive modernization project in 2024 aimed at enhancing 273 low-income housing units, including 101 single-family and duplex units along with two apartment towers. Johnson Controls facilitated WPHA in securing funding from multiple federal sources to support this project.

 

4. Multi-State: Metrus’ Energy-as-a-Service Financing Model

Highlights:

• Energy as a Service model provided third party financing for energy management and infrastructure modernization
• Replicable across public and private buildings and campuses
• Role for states: Education to energy users and enabling state policy
• 71% reduction in electricity consumption, eliminating 66k tons of annual CO2 emissions

Together with its Energy Service Contractor (ESCO) partner Centrica Business Solutions, Metrus is utilizing a Sustainable Energy as a Service program to finance over $74 million of projects at 56 sites across the United States for Amazon. Metrus financed and implemented a programmatic Sustainable Energy Services Agreement (SESA) that allows Amazon to blend the economics of different utility rates across regions to ensure that all sites are able to benefit from the efficiency upgrades.

 

5. Multi-State: Redaptive’s Corporate Lighting Upgrades and Solar Pilot

Highlights:

• Energy as a Service model provided third party financing for energy management and infrastructure modernization
• Replicable across public and private buildings and campuses
• Role for states: Education to energy users and enabling state policy
• $21M savings over ten years, eliminating 81K metric tons of CO2 emissions

Redaptive utilized its Energy-as-a-Service financing model to help Cintas significantly reduce electricity consumption across its 115-location rental and supply chain portfolio via replacement of inefficient fluorescent lighting. Additionally, Cintas chose Redaptive for a solar pilot that finished installation mid-2024.

 

 

Natural Gas, Biogas, and RNG Generation

 

6. Kansas: Dodge City Warrior Project Biogas Plant Converts Wastewater to Power

Highlights:

• Biogas facility captures and treats biogas from municipal wastewater produced by a new industrial facility in town
• Role for states: Education to energy users and enabling state policy
• Produces up to 825 million cubic feet of biogas annually, bringing in over $4 million in revenue in 2024 – an average of over $430 per household

The Warrior Project Biogas Plant in Dodge City, Kansas uses its wastewater biogas to generate clean renewable energy, along with revenue that benefits its residents. The plant stopped flaring its biogas and opted to produce pipeline-quality gas and sell its high-quality renewable natural gas. The revenue not only allows the city to pay for operations and bond interest, but also funds capital improvements. Without this income, Dodge City would have to raise property taxes by 18% or cut improvement spending.

 

7. Michigan: Capital Power’s Combined Electrical and Steam Energy Generating Plant

Highlights:

• Utilized state funding in the form of a grant from the Michigan Public Service Commission to study carbon capture feasibility
• Role for states: Education to energy users and enabling state policy
• Capable of continuously producing 1,633 MW of electrical power, and in parallel, producing process steam at a rate of 1.5M pounds per hour; electricity output large enough to serve a city of 1.1M households

Midland Cogeneration Venture (MCV) is the largest natural gas-fired combined electrical energy and steam energy generating plant in the United States, which uses both a gas and a steam turbine together to produce up to 50% more electricity from the same fuel than a traditional simple-cycle plant. The facility is a major supplier of electrical energy to customers in Michigan and the midcontinent and a supplier of bulk process steam energy to nearby chemical production companies.

 

8. New York: Waga Energy’s RNG Facility Converts Landfill Gas to Power

Highlights:

• Selected by county from proposals for renewable natural gas (RNG) projects, resulting in a 20-year partnership agreement
• Role for states: Education to energy users and enabling state policy
• Produces up to 207,000 MMBtu of gas annually — enough to heat 4,000+ homes and avoid 13,500 tons of CO₂e

In May 2024, Waga Energy commissioned New York’s first WAGABOX facility at the Steuben County Landfill in Bath. Using a low-temperature separation process, it cleans environmentally hazardous landfill gas into pipeline-quality renewable natural gas, generating local revenue and long-term jobs through a Waga Energy–Steuben County partnership.

 

 

Energy Storage

 

9. Wisconsin: Invenergy’s Large-Scale Energy Storage Project Powers Homes

Highlights:

• 110 MW, 440 MWh of storage project can power more than 130,000 homes for four hours
• Co-located with a 200 MW solar energy generation facility
• Role for states: Education to energy users and enabling state policy

Developed by America’s largest privately held developer, owner, and operator of energy solutions, Invenergy’s Paris Solar-Battery Park in Kenosha County is the state’s first large-scale energy storage project. Situated alongside a 200 MW solar facility, Paris Solar-Battery Park provides more capacity and stronger grid resiliency during times of increased energy demand and creates long-term economic benefits for the surrounding area.

 

 

Microgrids

 

10. California: Enchanted Rock’s Dual-Purpose Microgrids

Highlights:

• State legislation spurred an upgrade of facilities to increase resiliency during peak electricity demand
• Replicable across communities and campuses
• Role for states: Partnership with private sector technology providers to deploy microgrid projects

Enchanted Rock contracted with the California Department of Water Resources to build and operate three dispatchable energy resource projects for a total of 148 MW through the state’s Electricity Strategic Reliability Reserve Program. The natural gas-fueled, dual-purpose microgrids support the grid during times of need while receiving revenue that is used to deeply discount the life-cycle costs of the solution.

 

About the Author: Emmy Deignan is a Policy Associate for the Business Council for Sustainable Energy.