U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced that Michigan will receive $19,599,600 in funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to support energy efficiency and conservation activities. Under the Department of Energy’s Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program, the state will implement programs that lower energy use, reduce carbon pollution, and create green jobs locally.
DOE is announcing more than $354 million in funding today for 22 states. States receiving funding include Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Connecticut, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island, Texas, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.
Michigan will use its Recovery Act EECBG funds to substantially improve energy efficiency, which is a centerpiece of the state’s plan to transform its economy: “Jobs Today, Jobs Tomorrow.” Specifically, this funding will be used to support programs that will contribute to meeting the state’s aggressive goal to reduce fossil fuel generated electricity by 45 percent by 2012.
Michigan’s EECBG funds will be administered by the Department of Labor, Energy and Economic Growth, Bureau of Energy Systems.
Local cities and counties will be able to use their funds for a wide variety of energy efficiency and conservation activities, including building audits and retrofits, financial incentive programs, upgrades to traffic signals and streetlights,
implementation and enforcement of advanced building codes, and installation of renewable energy technologies on government buildings.
To ensure that these Recovery Act funds reach as many local cities and counties as possible, the state will encourage communities to partner together through multi jurisdictional applications and to leverage other public and private resources. Michigan will use a separate competitive solicitation to award funds for Light Emitting Diode (LED) and Solid State Lighting projects. Subgrants will range from $50,000 to $250,000 and enable projects that will lower both energy and maintenance costs for local communities.
Overall, these Recovery Act-funded initiatives will enhance Michigan’s ability to achieve its energy efficiency goals and support the energy needs and priorities of local communities, while creating or retaining hundreds of jobs
statewide.
The awards to State Energy Offices will be used to support state-level energy efficiency priorities, along with funding local conservation projects in smaller cities and counties. At least 60 percent of each state’s award will be passed through to local cities and counties not eligible for direct EECBG awards from the Department of Energy.
The EECBG Program was funded for the first time by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and provides formula grants to states, cities, counties, territories and federally-recognized Indian tribes nationwide to implement energy efficiency projects locally. Transparency and accountability are important priorities for the EECBG program and all Recovery Act projects. All grantees have specific measures they must take before spending the full amount of awarded funding, such as ensuring oversight and transparency, submitting a conservation strategy to the Department of Energy, and complying with environmental regulations.
Throughout the program’s implementation, DOE will provide strong oversight at the local, state, and tribal level, while emphasizing the need to quickly award funds to help create new jobs and stimulate
local economies. Communities will be required to report regularly to DOE on the progress they have made toward successfully completing projects and reaching program goals.
For a full list of awards to date, visit www.eecbg.energy.gov.