NASEO News

DOE Approves 16 Recovery Act SEP Plans

The US Department of Energy has approved State Energy Program plans under Recovery Act from Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, North Carolina, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah and Washington.  Each of these 16 states has now received 50% of their Recovery Act SEP funding.  DOE will approve the additional SEP plans in the coming weeks.   

DOL Announces $500 million for 5 Grant Solicitations to Train Workers for Green Jobs

From DOL Press Release 6/24/09: Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced five grant competitions, totaling $500 million, to fund projects that prepare workers for green jobs in the energy efficiency and renewable energy industries.  Four of the competitions announced today are designed to serve workers in need of training through various national, state and community outlets: Energy Training Partnership Grants; Pathways Out of Poverty Grants; State Energy Sector Partnership and Training Grants; and Green Capacity Building Grants. The fifth competition, for State Labor Market Information Improvement Grants, will fund state workforce agencies that will collect, analyze and disseminate labor market information and develop labor exchange infrastructure to direct individuals to careers in green industries. Detailed information on grant opportunities can be found in each grant solicitation.  A notice of these grant solicitations is in today's edition of the Federal Register and is also available at http://www.doleta.gov/grants/find_grants.cfm and http://www.grants.gov. Dates and times for applicant virtual conferences are found in each SGA. For more information on the array of Department of Labor employment and training investments and opportunities, visit http://www.doleta.gov.

DOE Announces Availability of $3.9 Billion to Invest in Smart Grid Technologies and Electric Transmission Infrastructure

From DOE Press Release 6/25/09: U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced today that the Department of Energy is soliciting applications for $3.9 billion in grants to support efforts to modernize the electric grid, allowing for greater integration of renewable energy sources while increasing the reliability, efficiency and security of the nation's transmission and distribution system, as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.  Secretary Chu announced the release of the final Funding Opportunity Announcements (FOA) for $3.9 billion in Recovery Act funds.  Approximately $3.3 billion for the Smart Grid Investment Grant Program and $615 million for smart grid demonstration projects will help develop and implement smart grid technologies across the country.  The final FOAs are available at www.fedconnect.net.  Search public opportunities for the following reference numbers: Smart Grid Investment Program (DE-FOA-0000058) and Smart Grid Demonstrations (DE-FOA-0000036).

Briefing by Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources Commissioner Philip Giudice on Behalf of NASEO

Please click here for a written presentation from Phil Giudice, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources, on the importance of building energy codes in climate and energy policy.  Commissioner Giudice delivered these remarks at a Capitol Hill briefing on June 22nd.

State Heating Oil and Propane Conference

Registration for this year's State Heating Oil and Propane (SHOPP) Conference is now open.  This year's conference will be held in Newport, RI at the Hyatt Regency Newport Hotel on August 3-4, 2009.  The SHOPP program is a cooperative program between the State Energy Offices located in the Northeast, mid-Atlantic, and Midwest and the Energy Information Administration (EIA).  State Energy Offices assist EIA with the weekly collection of residential heating oil and propane price data during the heating season.  The data is used extensively by EIA and helps ensure that suppliers are able to move heating oil to regions in need throughout the heating season.  The meeting is for EIA staff, State Energy Office staff and their private-sector partners.  The SHOPP workshop is 1.5 days, and covers a wide variety of topics including major trends in the oil and gas markets; home heating oil projections for the coming winter season; natural gas issues; state perspectives on the SHOPP program; and propane supply and demand issues.  Registration for both the meeting and the hotel are open.  Please find registration information on NASEO's web site: https://www.naseo.org/events/shopp/default.htm.  If you have questions about the meeting, or would like additional information, please feel free to contact Shemika Spencer at: 703.299.8800 x15 or via email at: sspencer@naseo.org.