NASEO News
FEDERAL UPDATE
Interior
Department Awards $3.7 Million to 13
Tribes for Renewable Energy
The U.S. Department of the Interior
announced that its Office of Indian
Energy and Economic Development (IEED)
has awarded $3.7 million to 13 tribes
that are developing renewable energy
resources for their communities. IEED
selected six geothermal, four biomass,
and three hydroelectric power projects
for tribes located in the states of
California, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada,
Oklahoma, South Dakota, Washington, and
Wisconsin. The proposed projects were
identified by the individual tribes,
which developed comprehensive proposals
that were evaluated by IEED under a
competitive process. Access to these
renewable resources will allow these
communities to develop jobs and
additional economic opportunities on
their tribal lands, while decreasing
their reliance on fossil fuels. Please
click here to see the Interior
Department press release for the full
list of tribes.
EVENTS AND WEBINARS
REGISTER NOW!
DOE Summer Energy Outlook Conference
and Energy Data and Assurance Planning
Workshop
The Department of Energy's (DOE)
Office of Electricity Delivery and
Energy Reliability (OE) in conjunction
with the National Conference of State
Legislatures (NCSL) and the National
Association of State Energy Officials
(NASEO) are pleased to invite you to the
Summer Energy Outlook Conference and a
special, interactive Workshop on Energy
Data and Assurance Planning. These two
events will be held on April 20-21,
2010, at the Brown Palace in Denver,
Colorado.
The Summer Energy Outlook Conference
will feature the Energy Information
Administration's 2010 Short-Term Energy
Outlook including outlooks and
presentations by experts on global oil
supplies, natural gas, electricity and
renewables.
The Workshop on Energy Data and
Assurance Planning will be held for
State and Local government officials to
identify and understand how to use EIA
energy data through a series of
energy-based scenarios. Participants
will receive practical guidance on State
and Local Energy Assurance Guidelines
and receive ideas on how to develop a
mechanism for tracking energy supply
events and disruptions.
Please
click here to register for the
meeting, review the preliminary agenda
and find information about event
lodging. The registration deadline for
the two events is April 9, 2010.
The event is also co-sponsored by the
National Association of Regulatory
Utility Commissioners.
EPA/NASEO
Responsible Appliance Disposal Webinar –
March 24, 2010
The U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and NASEO will host a joint
webinar for state and local officials on
the EPA Responsible Appliance Disposal (RAD)
Program on Wednesday, March 24, 2010
from 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm EST. EPA's RAD
Program is a voluntary partnership
program that began in October 2006 to
help protect the ozone layer and reduce
emissions of greenhouse gases. As part
of the RAD program, partners recover
ozone-depleting chemicals from old
refrigerators, freezers, air
conditioners, and dehumidifiers. For
more information on RAD, please
click here.
To participate in this webinar,
please use the following conference call
number for audio and the webinar address
to view the presentations (No
pre-registration is required, just call
in and double click on the webinar
address link below at the designated
start time):
Conference Call Information:
The call in number is:
1.800.250.2600
The participant PIN is: 640851#
Webinar Address:
https://webconf.anywhereconference.com/?
P=AnIkYSoxKEEXSxNEVE4vcihhITFOQUNLU0QDTnJyc2
F1MXxBQUtQRDFOEXICYQoxTkFES1VEAU55cn5hdTE=
The participant PIN is: 640851#
If you have any questions regarding
this webinar, please contact Garth Otto
gotto@naseo.org , 703.299.8800, ext.
16.
Save the Date!
Leveraging Energy Partnerships in the
Stimulus Environment
NASEO invites you to attend a one day
conference on "Leveraging Energy
Partnerships in the Stimulus
Environment" on April 15, 2010. Hosted
by the National Council for
Public-Private Partnerships (NCPPP), and
co-sponsored by NASEO, the event will
focus on ways state energy offices and
other advocates of energy efficiency and
renewable energy programs can further
leverage their ARRA funding at all
levels of government (state and local)
by taking advantage of public-private
joint initiatives. The environment for
the use of public-private partnerships (PPPs)
is rapidly changing, presenting new
opportunities and challenges at all
levels of government. PPPs are one
means of fulfilling both immediate and
long-term objectives for economic
stimulus and energy projects. Expert
speakers will outline this new
environment, the opportunities, and how
PPPs can be used to address funding gaps
to leverage limited public funds.
Speakers will include Mark Johnson
and Mark Bailey of the US Department of
Energy, with a luncheon keynote given by
Gil Sperling, Office of Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy, US
DOE. Additional speakers will include
Joe Sikes, Director of Facilities Energy
for DOD, Malcolm Woolf, Maryland Energy
Administration (MEA) Director, Bevan
Smith, Virgin Islands Energy Office
Director, Anita Molino, Energy Institute
Chair, Brian Castelli, Alliance to Save
Energy, C.J. Cordova, Office of
Enterprise Management (VA), Deborah
Estes, State Energy & Natural Resource,
Roger Feldman, Andrews Kurth LLP, Kevin
Kampschroer, GSA, Richard Kidd, US DOE,
Kenyattah Robinson, Jones Lang LaSalle,
Mark Wagner, Johnson Controls, and Mark
White, Bostonia Partners LLC.
All will be offering insights into
how to increase the effectiveness of
limited government funded energy
programs via the use of private
capital. Representatives from the U.S.
Congress and key segments of the energy
efficiency and renewable energy industry
have also been invited to discuss this
rapidly evolving environment and its
implications for the increased use of
PPPs for energy efficiency and renewable
energy. Case studies of successful
public private partnerships will also be
discussed.
The conference will be held at the
Sheraton National Hotel, 900 South Orme
Street in Arlington, VA. Please go to
www.ncppp.org to access the agenda,
registration, and hotel information.
Please note that the above hotel is sold
out. If you are in need of hotel
accommodations, there are several hotels
in the area. For further information,
contact Garth Otto at NASEO,
gotto@naseo.org.
STATE AND LOCAL NEWS
Wyoming Uses
Stimulus Funds to Encourage Residential
Renewable Energy Projects
A program to help install residential
renewable systems is up and running with
the successful implementation of solar
and wind energy projects on two Wyoming
homes. The residential renewable energy
program provided grants of up to $10,000
or 50 percent of project costs,
whichever was less, for installing
photovoltaic (solar), small wind, and
ground source heat energy systems at
Wyoming homes. The State Energy Office
received over $2.2 million in federal
stimulus funding in December 2009 to
help Wyoming residents defray the cost
of installing renewable energy systems
on their homes. The funding is part of
the $3.1 billion ARRA appropriation to
the U.S. Department of Energy last year
to fund state programs that prioritize
energy savings, increase the use of
renewable energy, and create or retain
jobs. Please
click here to read more at the
Wyoming Business Council.
Utah State Energy
Program Plans to Leverage $50 Million
from $6 Million in ARRA Funds
Six-million dollars will soon be
turned into roughly $50 million worth of
energy efficiency projects in Utah. The
Utah State Energy Program (USEP) is
partnering with the Division of
Facilities Construction and Management (DFCM)
to invest more than $50 million in
energy efficiency measures in
state-owned buildings. "This partnership
allows DFCM to add $44 million for
numerous energy efficiency upgrades,"
said Meghan Golden, USEP Clean Energy
Program Specialist. "Also, the projects
will be completed in a relatively short
time frame." Energy efficiency projects
may involve activities such as replacing
lighting with more efficient systems or
upgrading heating ventilation and air
conditioning equipment. The projects are
funded through the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA), and are held to
all requirements of ARRA. These funds
must be spent prior to April of 2012.
Please
click here to read more at the Utah
Geological Survey.
$32 Million in
Stimulus Money Fund Texas Renewable
Energy Projects
Texas Comptroller Susan Combs
recently announced 32 renewable energy
projects around the state have been
selected to receive a first round of
federal stimulus grants as part of the
Distributed Renewable Energy Technology
Program. Approximately $32 million will
go to cities, school districts, colleges
and universities and other local and
state government entities in the first
round of grants. More project
applications are currently undergoing
federal National Environmental Policy
Act review. The Comptroller's State
Energy Conservation Office will
administer the stimulus grants. The
grants range from $95,000 to $2 million.
Please
click here to find a summary of the
projects selected to-date for grants. To
read the Texas State Energy Conservation
Office press release, please
click here.
Nevada Launches
$8.2 Million Renewable Energy Revolving
Loan Program for Communities
The Nevada State Office of Energy
("NSOE") has issued a Request for
Proposals (RFP) for renewable energy
projects under the $8,224,097 Revolving
Loan Program, funded by federal ARRA
funds. "The NSOE is excited to help
stimulate projects that can help
jumpstart Nevada's renewable energy
economy," said Robert Nellis, program
coordinator. "This program will provide
short-term, low-cost loans to developers
to assist them with startup costs."
Applicants may apply for a minimum of
$200,000 and a maximum of $1,645,000 and
must be able to enter a loan contract
prior to June 30. Loan terms will be
less than 15 years with an interest rate
of three percent. In addition, lower
interest rates will be available for
disadvantaged communities. Please
click here to read the original
press release at NSOE.
Electric Vehicles
Get $1 Million Boost in Maryland
The Maryland Energy Administration
(MEA) recently launched the Electric
Vehicle Infrastructure Program (EVIP)
initiative to promote electric vehicles
throughout the State and aid the
installation of Electric Vehicle
Recharging units and Truck Stop
Electrification. The new program, run
by MEA and the Maryland Clean Cities
Coalition will provide $1 million this
fiscal year in grants to state and local
governments, nonprofits and private
entities. This news comes on the heels
of Governor Martin O'Malley introducing
an Electric Vehicle Tax Credit bill
during this legislative session. The
proposed bill provides Maryland
residents with up to $2,000 in tax
incentives to help defray the upfront
costs of purchasing electric vehicles.
Please
click here to read the MEA press
release.
'Energizing
Arkansas' Newsletter Shows Great Promise
in Improving Communication
In addition to regular press
releases, the Arkansas Energy Office has
teamed up with the University of
Arkansas' Cooperative Extension Service
to produce a high-quality quarterly
report which focuses on all things
energy in the state. The combination of
concise, informative articles,
announcements and upcoming events
listings make the newsletter a valuable,
well-produced piece of work. Please
click here to read this quarter's
newsletter. To see an archive of all
previous issues of Energizing Arkansas,
please
click here. |
