Building Energy Exchange KC celebrates third anniversary

Building Energy Exchange of Kansas City (BE-Ex KC) celebrates its third anniversary this week at a time when energy efficiency for the region's built environment is central to an upcoming opportunity for unprecedented climate funding.

The formation of BE-Ex KC, a joint effort by MARC and Climate Action KC, was guided by the Institute for Market Transformation (IMT) with support from Evergy and the Leon Lowenstein Foundation as a core initiative of the regionally adopted climate action plan in 2021. The plan, developed with the help of more than 150 elected leaders and countless regional volunteers, includes a Greenhouse Gas Emissions inventory that shows 63% of emissions in our region are attributed to buildings. 

The original plan — being revisited in next year's comprehensive climate plan — includes three timelines to help the region achieve net-zero emissions: 2035 for net-zero municipal government buildings, 2040 for all of the Kansas City region's building stock, and 2050 for the entirety of the regional economy. It hopes to achieve that 2040 goal by promoting standards and best practices for all new builds to achieve net zero within the next 6 years.

BE-Ex celebrates its third anniversary with the launch of its third cohort of its rising trades contractor accelerator, which provides 8 months of Kauffman Foundation-funded professional instruction to small certified woman- and minority-owned building contractors. The program strategically pairs entrepreneurs with professional service providers via their partnerships with SEED Collective, Elevate and Business Services Collective, representing national expertise in construction, building sciences, energy efficiency, as well as service support in the fields of tax and accounting practices for independent contractors.