NASEO News

Recovery Act SEP Plans

More states have informed NASEO of publicly posted application details for State Energy Program (SEP) funding from the Recovery Act (click on the state name for the link): Minnesota, Kentucky and Nebraska.  (Maine, Idaho, Washington, California, Iowa, New York, Colorado, New Hampshire, Ohio, Virginia, Florida and Louisiana were previously reported).  Other state energy offices may send application information to Benjamin Deitchman at bdeitchman@naseo.org.

EECBG Application Resources

NASEO is continuing to receive many questions from state and entitlement local governments about Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) applications, which are due to DOE by June 25th.  The Solutions Center on the EECBG website has some useful information, including a sample Attachment E: Energy Efficiency & Conservation Strategy for States.  Please click here for a PowerPoint presentation prepared by NETL staff on submitting a response in FedConnect.  The presentation is straightforward and may be of help to cities and counties as the deadline approaches.  Please contact the NASEO staff if you have any further questions.

Confirmation Hearings - DOE

Cathy Zoi, Assistant Secretary of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (DOE) Designee, and William Brinkman, Director of the Office of Science (DOE) Designee testified before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on June 2, 2009.  Please click here for the written testimony of Ms. Zoi and click here for the testimony of Mr. Brinkman.   The Senate will likely confirm them in the near future.

$256 Million Industrial Funding Announcement

DOE's Industrial Technology Program announced $256 million in competitive funding in three areas: CHP $156 million; IT and data center efficiency $50 million; and advanced materials $50 million.  Please click here for the funding notice.

Governors' Energy and Climate Coalition Calls for Action on Climate, Energy Legislation

 From Georgetown State-Federal Climate Resource Center 5/21/ 2009: "The newly formed Governors' Energy and Climate Coalition, representing 30 states and territories, today pledged to work with Congress to pass legislation that will address climate change and provide the nation with a comprehensive energy strategy.  The bipartisan group of Governors outlined two principles – supporting comprehensive federal policy and advocating an active state-federal partnership  – which the coalition would promote 'at every opportunity.'  'States are where the green economy is being built," the Governors said, pledging to work with Congress and the Administration "to develop a strong state-federal partnership to create and preserve our jobs and industry, keep the United States competitive abroad, and at the same time address climate change threats.'  The coalition represents states from every region of the country, and will work together to inform sound state and federal climate policy."  Please click here for the full press release.  Please also click here for the Governor's Energy and Climate  Coalition's Statement of Principles. 

States, Nonprofits Jockey for 'Weatherizing' Funds

From the Wall Street Journal 5/28/2009: "President Barack Obama wants to make a million houses a year more energy efficient as part of his goal to create thousands of 'green' jobs and reduce U.S. carbon emissions.  But the administration's push to expand an obscure antipoverty program into a centerpiece of that initiative is stirring debate over the best way to use a flash flood of federal stimulus dollars.

City contractors measure windows for screens that block sunlight and prevent it from heating up the room.  Texas is slated to get $327 million over the next two years to help cut poor families' utility bills by 'weatherizing' their homes. Nonprofit groups affiliated with the federal Weatherization Assistance Program are set to get a big funding boost and say they are up to the task.  But Texas and some other states don't want simply to supersize existing programs and are also proposing what they say are more efficient ways to use the stimulus money. Indiana and Missouri are asking nonprofit groups to compete for some or all of the funds; Wisconsin plans to use some of its allocation to tackle low-income apartment buildings and is hoping to dedicate $10 million toward replacing appliances."  Please click here for the full article.

Task Force Announces Agency Partnerships to Build a Strong Middle Class through a Green Economy 

From White House Press Release 5/26/2009: "As part of their commitment to developing new policies, proposals and ideas to help America's middle class, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis, Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced new agency partnerships to foster job growth for a new green economy at today's meeting of the Middle Class Task Force in Denver.  'It was clear at our first meeting in Philadelphia that partnerships – on the federal, state and local level – are critical to creating green opportunity for middle class Americans.  This insight was an instructive one for our taskforce and we've been hard at work turning this advice into action,' said Vice President Biden.  'Over the past three months, members of the Task Force and their staffs have come together to work on ways in which we can leverage programs at different agencies to ensure that green jobs are accessible to middle-class workers, as well as lower-income workers trying to gain a foothold into the middle class.'"  Please click here for the full press release.  The Departments of Education, Energy and Labor also signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Denver "to collaborate on linking the United States Workforce to jobs, training and education opportunities funded by the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act and annual appropriations."  The Department of Labor will likely announce Recovery Act green jobs training opportunities later this month.