About Metropolitan Energy Center
To create resource efficiency, environmental health, and economic vitality in the Kansas City region and beyond.
Focus Areas
energy efficiencybuilding performanceclean transportationelectric vehicles and charging infrastructurealternative fuels (CNG, biodiesel, etc.)diesel emissions reductionenergy equity and healthy homesgrant writing and technical assistance
Who They Fund
municipal fleets / city public worksschool districts / students and school communitiesincome-eligible / low-income homeownersfreight/distribution centers and private fleet operators
About Metropolitan Energy Center
Metropolitan Energy Center Inc. concentrates its grantmaking on cleaner transportation and building-related energy work, with many of its largest recent awards tied to vehicle electrification, alternative fuels, charging infrastructure, and fleet decarbonization. A 2024 grant to Ups supported CNG-powered Class 8 and Class 5 freight trucks, while another major 2024 award to Hirschbach Motor Lines funded electric-powered terminal trucks. The foundation also backed school transportation with a 2023 grant to DS Bus Lines for CNG-powered school buses and supported deployment work in the regional market through infrastructure grants in Kansas and Missouri. The pattern is not limited to vehicles. Metropolitan Energy Center Inc. also funds solar installation for income-eligible homes, energy code training, and research linked to energy efficiency and health impacts. Recent awards include contracting work for solar photovoltaic systems on Kansas City’s Share the Sun program and subawards for data analysis and building energy code training. Across these grants, the foundation appears focused on practical implementation: equipment purchases, installation costs, technical assistance, and project support that help transportation and building systems move toward lower emissions.
What Metropolitan Energy Center Funds
Alternative fuel vehicles are a central theme. In 2025, Metropolitan Energy Center Inc. gave $446,093 to Lazer Spot Inc for electricity-powered terminal trucks and charging stations, and in 2024 it gave $111,560 to Tucker Equipment Inc for an electric-powered terminal truck for zero-emission distribution center operations. Charging infrastructure is another clear priority. The foundation awarded $343,990 to Triplett in 2024 to purchase and install electric charging stations, and earlier gave $208,738 to LilyPadEV for charging stations. Its building and health-related work shows up in a 2025 contract to Sun Solar for solar photovoltaic installation on income-eligible homes under Kansas City’s Share the Sun program, plus a 2024 subaward to The Children’s Mercy Hospital for a study on the health impacts of energy efficiency improvements for children with asthma. The foundation also supports clean school transportation, as shown by a 2025 grant to Grain Valley R-5 School District for propane-powered buses.
How Metropolitan Energy Center Gives
Typical grants cluster in the mid-sized range: p25 is $26,940, the median is $76,219, and p75 is $270,461. The recent record also includes large capital-style awards above $400,000, alongside smaller technical-assistance and research subawards. The grant list shows repeated support for some recipients across multiple years, including Ups, Triplett, WaterOne/Water One, LilyPadEV, Hathmore Technologies LLC, Sun Solar, and The Pennsylvania State University. That pattern suggests ongoing project-based relationships rather than one-time awards. Metropolitan Energy Center Inc. is a nonprofit funder, not an individual-giving institution, and it does not make program-related investments. The grant record also includes a mix of grants, contracts, subawards, and procurement-style awards tied to federal program work.
Financial Snapshot
Annual Giving
$1.5M
Total Assets
$1.5M
Total Revenue
$2.9M
Total Expenses
$3.1M
Typical Grant Size
Most grants fall between $27K and $270K, with a median of $76K.
25th Percentile
$27K
Median
$76K
75th Percentile
$270K
Geographic Reach
Regional7 states funded
About 33% of grants go to recipients in MO.
Funding intensity
LowHigh
Headquarters
Leadership
Kelly Gilbert
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