NASEO News

FEDERAL UPDATE

Biden Kicks Off Five Days of Earth Day Activities with New Energy Efficiency Effort

Vice President Biden kicked off five days of administration events around the 40th anniversary of Earth Day with the announcement of the selection of 25 communities for up to $452 million in Recovery Act funding to "ramp-up" energy efficiency building retrofits. Under the Department of Energy's Retrofit Ramp-Up initiative, communities, governments, private sector companies, and non-profit organizations will work together on pioneering and innovative programs for concentrated and broad-based retrofits of neighborhoods and towns—and eventually entire states. These partnerships will support large-scale retrofits and make energy efficiency accessible to hundreds of thousands of homeowners and businesses. The models created through this program are expected to save households and businesses about a $100 million annually in utility bills, while leveraging private sector resources, to create what funding recipients estimate at about 30,000 jobs across the country during the next three years.

In addition to the $452 million Recovery Act investment, the 25 projects announced today will leverage an estimated $2.8 billion from other sources over the next 3 years to retrofit hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses across the country. Grantees will employ innovative financing models to make these savings accessible, for example by offering low and no-interest loans that are repaid through property tax and utility bills. In implementing these projects, grantees will deliver verified energy savings and incorporate sustainable business models, to ensure that buildings will continue to be retrofitted after Recovery Act funds are spent. The Department will use the lessons learned from these pilot programs to develop best-practice guides to comprehensive retrofit programs that can be adopted and implemented by other communities across the country.

Secretary Chu, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, and Carol Browner, Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change, joined Vice President Biden for the announcement, which was the first of more than two dozen events and activities Administration officials will participate in around Earth Day.  For more information about the governments and non-profit organizations that have been selected for Retrofit Ramp-Up awards as well as additional detail on the Earth Day events and activities, please click here.

DOE Announces $28 Million to Support State Efforts to Increase Building Energy Retrofits and Develop State Energy Savings Goals

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that up to $28 million in funding is available to help states lower the cost and increase the availability of energy efficiency retrofits. These programs will reduce energy use and save money for families and businesses across the country.  The funding opportunity, administered by DOE's State Energy Program, will also assist states in developing the necessary policy and program frameworks to stimulate investment in cost-effective, long-term energy efficiency deployments, especially in states that do not currently have aggressive energy savings goals in place.  This competitive funding opportunity is targeted to State Energy Offices (SEO). In the applications, SEOs are encouraged to partner with market participants, including other SEOs, public utility commissions, utilities, program sponsors, trade organizations, financial institutions, educational institutions, retailers, manufacturers, and/or other organizations.  The two areas of interest under the funding opportunity are Strengthening Building Retrofit Markets and Stimulating Energy Efficiency Action. Please click here for more information about this funding opportunity announcement (FOA).  Applications are due to the Department of Energy by May 24, 2010.

Webinar to Discuss the FOA

On Wednesday, April 28th from 3:00 PM -4:00 PM EDT, State Energy Program experts will discuss the objectives of the FOA, the merit review criteria, and DOE's substantial involvement in the cooperative agreement with the states.  To register for the webinar, please click here.

DOE Announces $30 Million to Accelerate Weatherization Innovation

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced today that it will provide up to $30 million to fund DOE's new Weatherization Innovation Pilot Program to accelerate innovations in whole-house weatherization technologies and services.  The program is looking to fund new projects that will deliver measureable improvements in the cost, scope, and energy savings of low-income weatherization programs across the country. The competitive funding opportunity is open to collaborative partnerships that can include the private sector, colleges or universities, utility companies, non-profit organizations, or existing weatherization providers.  DOE anticipates making between 10 and 15 awards under this announcement and anticipates grants to be between $2 million to $3 million each. Projects are tentatively expected to begin in October 2010 and will run for up to two years.  For more information on this Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA), please click here.  Applications for the FOA are due by June 2, 2010.

DOE Announces New Opportunities to Improve Commercial Building Energy Efficiency

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced support for energy-saving commercial building projects as part of an ongoing effort by DOE to improve the energy efficiency of buildings in the United States. With money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, DOE's national laboratories will select and fund technical experts to provide technical guidance to commercial building owners and operators. The goal of this Commercial Building Partnerships (CBP) initiative is to increase the energy efficiency of selected new and existing buildings.  Three DOE national laboratories are managing this new effort: the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, California; the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado; and the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington.  Applicants can apply through the laboratories for the following two initiatives:

Call for Energy Efficient Commercial Building Projects and Request for Proposals from Commercial Building Technical Experts.  For more information about the projects and the application project, please click here.

Federal Agencies Ready to Distribute More than $372 Million for Climate and Energy Initiatives

More than $372 million in current or upcoming funding opportunities for state, local, and tribal governments are available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Department of Labor (DOL), U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) that can be used to support climate and energy initiatives including energy efficiency, renewable energy, green jobs, regional planning, and community education. For full eligibility and application details, please click here to read more at the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives website.

EPA Requests Nominations for Green Power Leadership Awards

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will accept nominations for the 2010 Green Power Leadership Awards between April 27 and May 18, 2010. The awards will be presented at the Renewable Energy Markets Conference, to be held in Portland, Oregon, from October 19-22, 2010.

EPA, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the Center for Resources Solutions co-sponsor the Green Power Leadership Awards annually to recognize leading green power partners for their environmental achievements. A Green Power Leadership Award offers organizations the opportunity to:        

• Demonstrate environmental leadership,
• Receive EPA recognition,
• Become part of a prestigious group of award winners, and
• Be featured at the 2010 Renewable Energy Markets Conference.

Awards are presented for On-Site Generation, Green Power Purchasing, and Green Power Partner of the Year. This year, there will be a new Green Power Community Award (only EPA Green Power Communities are eligible to apply).

For nomination instructions, visit: http://www.epa.gov/grnpower/awards/nomination.htm

EVENTS AND WEBINARS

Energy Data and Assurance Planning Workshop Webcast, Thursday, April 29, 2 PM EDT

NASEO will host a webcast on Thursday, April 29, 2010, at 2 PM EDT, as a follow-up to the recent Summer Energy Outlook Conference and Energy Data and Assurance Planning Workshop held in Denver, CO, April 20-21.  During the meeting, the Outlook included presentations from industry representatives and energy experts offering national and global perspectives on energy supplies, demand and prices through this summer, and the Workshop equipped state energy assurance leads with the tools needed to prepare for and respond to an energy disruption and improve the resiliency of the state critical energy infrastructure.  (For copies of the presentations from the Denver Outlook and Workshop, please visit: http://naseo.org/events/summer/index.html.)

The goal of the April 29 webcast will be to provide a synopsis of the material covered during the Outlook Conference and Workshop and discuss the conclusions derived from the conversations over the course of the two days.  Please share this message with others in your state that focus on energy assurance and were unable to attend the Denver meeting.

Following are instructions to participate in the April 29 webcast.  After logging in, please enter your name followed by your two letter state abbreviation 

To join the audio portion of the call, the call in number is:
Toll Free Number: (800) 250-2600
Participant PIN: 723960 followed by the # key

To join the web portion of the conference, please click here.

ECW Announces Community Energy Leadership Webinar Series

The Energy Center of Wisconsin (ECW) is launching the Community Energy Leadership Webinar Series with a free live webinar Green Jobs: Connecting Supply and Demand, presented by Marge Anderson, Associate Director of the Energy Center on April 27, 2010 from 1:00pm-2:15pm CDT.  ECW has been conducting on-going analysis of workforce development, training and energy efficiency program developments in the Midwest. This webinar will provide more specific information to program planners so that they can prepare for the boom—and the workforce capacity challenges—ahead.  For more information and to register for the webinar, please click here.

The Community Energy Leadership Webinar Series is designed to assist cities and towns in achieving energy reduction goals.  The webinars will offer tips on improving energy assessment and program planning skills, and designing effective evaluation of program results to determine if goals are met.  The series is designed for community planners, economic development professionals, municipal employees and local elected officials, energy efficiency program managers, workforce development professionals, residential consultants and contractors, legislators and regulators, and advocates and professionals in the fields of energy and sustainable communities. Future topics in the series include:

Measuring Success: The Basics of Energy Program Evaluation
Presented by Claire Cowan, Energy Center of Wisconsin
Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Where is the Waste? An Introduction to Auditing Community Energy Use
Presented by Ingrid Kelley and Sean Weitner, Energy Center of Wisconsin
Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Effective Action: The Basics of Energy Program Design
Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Compressed Air Challenge, Fundamentals of Compressed Air Systems WE (web-edition)

The Compressed Air Challenge (CAC) is pleased to announce the second round of the Fundamentals of Compressed Air Systems WE (web-edition), starting May 14, 2010.  Subsequent sessions will occur on May 21, May 28, and June 4.  This web-based version of the popular Fundamentals of Compressed Air Systems training uses an interactive format that enables the instructor to diagram examples, give pop quizzes and answer students' questions in real time. Please visit the CAC website today, www.compressedairchallenge.org, to access online registration and for more information about the training. 

U.S.-Canada Clean Energy Dialogue 2010 Conference:  Increasing Trade in Clean Electricity

The U.S.-Canada Clean Energy Dialogue 2010 Conference:  Increasing Trade in Clean Electricity will be held May 19-20, 2010 in Rosemont Illinois.  The Clean Energy Dialogue (CED) was announced in February 2009 when President Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper met in Ottawa. The CED is charged with expanding clean energy research and development, developing and deploying clean energy technology, and building a more efficient electricity grid based on clean and renewable energy in order to reduce greenhouse gases and combat climate change in both countries. U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu and Canadian Minister of Environment Jim Prentice serve as the lead government officials for moving the CED forward.  For more information on the conference including an agenda and online registration, please click here.  

STATE AND LOCAL NEWS

Maryland Energy Administration Distributes $3 Million for Local Governments and Nonprofits to Reduce Energy Use

Governor Martin O'Malley announced the award recipients for round one of the "EmPOWER Clean Energy Communities" grant program, which helps local governments and nonprofits fund energy efficiency projects specifically for low to moderate income Marylanders. The grants, overseen by the Maryland Energy Administration (MEA), are providing a total of over $3 million this fiscal year, broken into two rounds, to local governments and nonprofits across our One Maryland. The first round of these funds will be used to perform energy makeovers to save money for an estimated 1,000 low and moderate income Maryland families. Governor O'Malley also announced the start of round two for additional counties who did not exhaust their available funding for projects in round one. Please click here to read more at MEA online.

South Carolina Stimulus Funds Used to Install Solar Water Heating Systems on Dormitory Roofs

The South Carolina Budget and Control Board's State Energy Office has awarded Columbia College $193,530 in federal stimulus funds to install solar thermal water heating on student dormitories.  The college will install solar thermal water heating systems in two dormitories, the Mirse and Wesley Halls. The 32 panel solar system will replace steam water heating produced from natural gas.  This clean energy project funded by the Energy Office is part of $3.3 million renewable and alternative energy grants awarded to 12 non-profit organizations and government entities in South Carolina.  "By installing these solar thermal water heaters, Columbia College will make significant steps towards energy efficiency as the college replaces older systems which cost much more to operate," John Clark, director of the Energy Office, said. Please click here to read more about this and other renewable energy projects funded by the stimulus in South Carolina.

Utah Launches Solar and Wind Rebate Program

The Utah State Energy Program (USEP) announced applications are now available for Utah residents, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations interested in generating renewable energy. The rebate amounts cover approximately 25 percent of the cost of a typical residential system. To read more about the Utah renewable energy rebate program, please click here.

State Energy Office Director Launches Nevada Energy Economy Strike Force

According to Nevada State Office of Energy (NSOE) Director Jim Groth, several major renewable energy development companies worth billions of dollars in potential annual revenue and key exponential tax base have chosen to locate their facilities in Nevada's neighboring states in the past ten months. For this reason, a Nevada Energy Economic Strike Force team met for the first time yesterday in Carson City to help remove barriers holding back renewable energy development and make Nevada more attractive to these companies.  The informal group, consisting of public employees, private sector energy experts, consultants, utility representatives, educators and energy efficiency experts, will meet regularly to execute a plan of attack to successfully develop Nevada's energy economy. Teams are being formed to quickly tackle different areas including transmission, permitting, funding sources, regulatory structure, energy efficiency, outreach, land issues and more. Please click here to read more at NSOE.