NASEO News

State Energy Program Western States Conference Presentations

The US Department of Energy hosted the Western States SEP Conference in Santa Fe, NM April 15-17, 2009.  Presentations from DOE and state energy officials dealing with Recovery Act programs are available on the New Mexico EMNRD website.  

Notice of Intent on DOE's Smart Grid Investment Grant Program 

The Department of Energy (DOE) has released a Notice of Intent to issue a Funding Opportunity Announcement for the Smart Grid Investment Program and has asked interested partied to provide comments not later than May 6, 2009.  DOE currently plans to issue the Funding Opportunity Announcement on June 17, 2009. Please click here for a copy of the notice.

EIA Projects Faster Clean Energy Growth with Recovery Act Funds

The Energy Information Administration (EIA) projects that the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) will foster energy efficiency and lead to long-term growth in renewable energy.  The EIA released its Annual Energy Outlook in March and has updated that publication with An Updated Annual Energy Outlook 2009 Reference Case Reflecting Provisions of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and Recent Changes in the Economic Outlook.   EIA forecasts that programs such as the State Energy Program, Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants and the Weatherization Assistance Program will reduce average household energy bills (excluding transportation) by $64 per year between now and 2030.  Other projections show immediate and long-term expansion of wind power, solar energy and energy efficiency directly due to the ARRA energy investments.

Steven Chu and Hilda Solis: "It's Time for Clean Energy"

From the Omaha World Herald (4/22/2009) by Secretary Steven Chu (Energy) and Secretary Hilda Solis (Labor): "Today, people across the country and around the world are celebrating Earth Day, a day dedicated to raising awareness about the plight of our natural resources and taking real action to make a difference.  For decades, while Americans in towns and cities across the country have worked to make a difference in their communities, politicians in both parties in Washington have ignored the energy crisis, imperiling our economy, our security and our planet.  Now we have a unique and critical opportunity to attack the energy crisis head-on and create a comprehensive energy policy that will bolster our economy, end our dependence on foreign oil and reduce the threat of deadly pollution that is devastating our planet.  During his first months in office, President Barack Obama has already taken some important first strides toward those goals as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Recovery Act included billions of dollars to be invested in cities and states across the country to strengthen our clean- energy industry and help restore America's place at the forefront of the 21st-century global economy."  Please click here for the full article. 

"'Green jobs' at heart of Obama's Earth Day push on Energy"

From Greenwire ( 4/22/2009): "The Obama administration is using Earth Day for launching another all-out effort to sell the American public and key lawmakers on "green jobs" as the solution for the United States' environmental and economic woes.  The jobs push starts at a critical time for the administration's energy agenda. The House Energy and Commerce Committee is starting hearings on a comprehensive climate and energy bill that President Obama has long portrayed as key to in his efforts toward economic recovery. The administration must also try in the next few weeks to push through Congress a budget resolution that raises spending in several energy-related areas, again with the promise of creating millions of new jobs in the renewable-energy arena.  It has become increasingly clear that the administration's central theme -- not to mention its pitch to key lawmakers -- is that energy-related legislative priorities are based not only on environmental merits but on their ability to create jobs."  Please click here for the full article.

"State Launch Coordinated Lobbying Blitz to Boost Role in Climate Bill"

From Inside EPA Weekly Report 4/17/2009: "State organizations in a coordinated lobbying effort are urging House and Senate lawmakers to provide a broader role for states than what is allowed in pending climate change legislation, including the ability to set stricter standards and regulate sectors excluded from the final version of whatever bill Congress passes.  Officials from six major state groups held two April 15 briefings with House and Senate staff to stress their belief that "states are good innovators and have the authority to take care of issues that may not be part of the federal bill, so we don't have our rights curtailed to do certain things," one state official says.  For example, states want to ensure that legislation does not preempt states from taking their own actions to combat climate change. Present at the briefings were officials from the National Governors Association, National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC), National Conference of State Legislatures, National Association of Clean Air Agencies (NACAA), National Association of State Energy Officials, and the Environmental Council of the States (ECOS)."  Please click here for the full article. 

Energy Services Coalition (ESC) Energy Savings Performance Contracting Planning Document

Please click here for the Energy Savings Performance Contracting planning document developed by the Energy Services Coalition (ESC). The document was created at the request of a number of State Energy Offices that participate in ESC as an aid in building the case for expanded performance contracting efforts utilizing stimulus funding.