Budderfly, an Energy-as-a-Service company, has committed $500 million in project capital to help small and midsize U.S. municipalities modernize energy infrastructure, including systems serving wastewater treatment plants and other essential public facilities.

The company’s Modernizing American Cities program will finance, deploy, own, operate and maintain energy systems, with municipalities paying over time through operational savings rather than upfront capital budgets or new debt, according to an Oct. 20 announcement.

Budderfly is partnering with Schneider Electric to integrate energy management and automation technologies. Potential projects include solar power, battery storage, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, HVAC and lighting upgrades, and systems to monitor and optimize energy performance.

The program builds on a project in Cadillac, Michigan, where Budderfly is investing approximately $4.4 million to upgrade energy systems at seven municipal facilities, including the city’s wastewater treatment plant and city hall. Planned improvements include solar, battery storage, upgraded HVAC and lighting, EV charging and microgrid capabilities intended to help maintain essential services during grid outages.

Schneider Electric will provide electrical hardware and intelligent controls to integrate and manage the systems. Cadillac will pay for the project through operational savings, with no upfront taxpayer cost, the companies said.

Budderfly said the program is intended to help municipalities address aging infrastructure, rising energy costs and constrained budgets while improving energy efficiency and the resilience of essential services.