NASEO News

Secretary Chu Announces Nearly $38 Million in State Awards for Energy Emergency Preparedness

As part of its efforts to improve the nation's energy security and electricity reliability, today Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced nearly $38 million in funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to improve state emergency preparedness plans and ensure quick recovery and restoration from any energy supply disruptions. Funds will be used by state governments to hire or retrain staff and expand state-level capacities to address challenges to the country's energy systems, including emergency situations such as blackouts, hurricanes, ice storms, and disruptions to heating supplies.  Please click here for the full release and additional information on the grants awarded. 

National Council on Electricity Policy Webinar

Please mark your calendars for the National Council on Electricity Policy's webinar, "The Changing Landscape of Energy Efficiency: Unlocking Opportunities and Applying Best Practices," which will take place Friday, August 21, 2009 at 3:30 PM eastern.  Please click here for additional details on the webinar.   

NRDC Analysis Shows State-by-State Ranking of Oil Vulnerability

Rising gas prices, combined with the economic downturn are making people more vulnerable to changes in oil prices, according to new analysis by the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). The report, "Fighting Oil Addiction: Ranking States' Oil Vulnerability and Solutions for Change," also shows that many states are taking significant steps to reduce oil dependence through smart clean-transportation policies.  The report provides a detailed look at how oil prices impact consumers and ways in which smart policies can help break states' addiction to oil.  Please click here to read the pull NRDC press release, which includes a link to the report. 

President Obama Approves a $2 Billion Extension for "Cash for Clunkers"

President Obama signed a bill on August 7, 2009 that directs another $2 billion to the "Cash for Clunkers" program, officially known as the Car Allowance Rebate System (CARS). Originally funded at $1 billion, the CARS program officially took effect in late July, but dealers were permitted to provide rebates starting July 1. The program proved popular, raising concerns that the rebates would need to be halted in early August. To keep the program going, Congress hurried to pass H.R. 3435, which draws $2 billion from the DOE Innovative Technology Loan Guarantee Program, under the assumption that DOE will not spend all the money allocated to that program by the end of the year. The funds are available to the CARS program through September 30, 2010.  Although critics of the program thought that the fuel economy requirements were too weak, the results from July indicate that consumers are voluntarily purchasing more fuel-efficient vehicles than required by the program.  Please click here for the full EERE Network News announcement. 

Consumer Fuels and Vehicles Choice Act of 2009

As reported in Biofuels Digest, Senators Tom Harkin of Iowa and Richard Lugar of Indiana introduced the Consumer Fuels and Vehicles Choice Act of 2009 on August 6, 2009.  According to a report at Growth Energy, the legislation will require that 50 percent of all vehicles manufactured in the US be flex-fuel enabled by 2011 and that the figure increase to 90 percent by 2013.  The legislation also includes funding for grants to service station owners covering up to 50 percent of the cost of installing pumps and infrastructure for ethanol blends up to E85.  Please click here to view the "Choice Act" bill.

Midwestern Governors Association Announces Jobs and Energy Summit

The Midwestern Governors Association (MGA) will hold the Governors Jobs and Energy Summit in Detroit on October 6-7, 2009.  The summit will focus on the region's work to date on its 2007 energy initiative, as well as Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm's agenda as 2009 chair of the MGA - Creating Jobs in a New Energy Economy.  Highlights of the summit will include a governors' roundtable discussion on strategies to create Midwestern jobs, an international panel on lessons learned in job creation in the new energy economy, and the signing of the MGA's Jobs Platform and Energy Infrastructure Accord.  The governors will also unveil the completed Midwestern Energy Roadmap, a follow-up document to the Energy Security and Climate Stewardship Platform that governors signed at their 2007 summit.  For more information about the summit and to register, please click here.

Governor Brewer Launches Effort to Improve Energy Efficiency at State Buildings

Governor Jan Brewer recently announced the first commitment of funds associated with Arizona's State Energy Plan (SEP) under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009. Ten million dollars (a portion of the $55.4 million the State is expected to receive from the U.S. Department of Energy's State Energy Program) will be allocated for projects enhancing energy efficiency at State-owned buildings and facilities.  These energy performance contracts are estimated to reduce annual utility costs by $15.5 million for Arizona taxpayers. The Arizona Department of Administration is in the process of identifying state buildings for energy performance contracts. The energy improvements address elements such as lighting, lighting controls, HVAC and HVAC controls, motors, building automated controls, and insulation. The ARRA funds will help make significant infrastructure improvements, such as boilers and chillers and solar equipment, more cost effective. 

MEEA Program Encourages Adopting the Latest Energy Efficient Lighting Technology

The Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA) is helping the Midwestern Governors Association meet their goal of at least two percent of regional annual retail sales of natural gas and electricity through energy efficiency improvements by 2015, and by continuing to achieve an additional two percent in efficiency improvements every year thereafter.  One component of MEEA's work to date has been to focus on expanding the use of energy efficient lighting. The LEDers program, set up with the support of the U.S. Department of Energy, is intended to encourage Midwestern companies, utilities and municipalities to use solid-state lighting.  Through this program, MEEA also provides community outreach and staff training on LED technology and helps companies buy cost effective products by providing access to a network of vendors and manufacturers. It also evaluates potential sites where LEDs could be utilized and then provides calculations of the likely energy savings.  For additional information, please click here.