NASEO News

FEDERAL UPDATE

House Agriculture Committee Passes Legislation to Encourage Energy Efficiency Projects in Rural Communities

The House Agriculture Committee recently passed the Rural Energy Savings Program Act (H.R. 4785) to encourage energy efficiency projects in rural communities.  The bill authorizes the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Utilities Service to make interest-free loans to eligible entities, including rural electric cooperatives that will then make loans to qualified consumers to implement energy efficiency measures. The program will provide funds to retrofit residences and small businesses with structural improvements and investments in cost-effective, commercial off-the-shelf technologies to reduce energy costs and consumption. Consumers will repay the loans through their electricity bills at an interest rate below 3 percent.  Please click here for the full story.  

DOE Announces Initiatives to Promote Clean Energy at First Clean Energy Ministerial

At the world's first Clean Energy Ministerial, U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu announced that the United States is helping launch more than 10 international clean energy initiatives.  These initiatives will cut energy waste; help deploy smart grid, electric vehicle, and carbon capture technologies; support renewable energy markets; expand access to clean energy resources and jobs; and support women pursuing careers in clean energy.  The new programs offer partners concrete, technical actions to promote economic growth while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and other pollutants.  The initiatives will eliminate the need to build more than 500 mid-sized power plants world-wide in the next 20 years.  Please click here to read more.

DOE Report: Recovery Act Boosts Advanced Vehicle Investments

The U.S. Department of Energy recently released a new report on the economic impact of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act investments in advanced batteries and vehicles. "Recovery Act Investments: Transforming America's Transportation Sector" documents how Recovery Act funds are being matched with private capital to create new jobs, help construct new plants, add new manufacturing lines, install electric vehicle charging stations nationwide, and help build the emerging domestic electric vehicle industry from the ground up.  Companies have matched -- at minimum -- dollar for dollar the $2.4 billion in Recovery Act seed money for advanced battery and electric vehicle grants. Other highlights of the investments include increased battery production capacity, lowered battery costs, and more vehicle charging locations.  Please click here for the full story and a link to the report.

MEETINGS AND WEBINARS

Register Today for the NASEO Annual Meeting in Boston, September 28-October 1, 2010

This year's NASEO Annual Meeting will be held September 28-October 1, 2010, at the Sheraton Boston in Boston, Massachusetts.  While the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) continues to deliver unprecedented opportunities and challenges for the State and Territory Energy Offices and their partners, what lies beyond ARRA?  Also, as the Administration evolves in Washington, D.C., keeping up with the pace of change at the U.S. Department of Energy and other agencies is critical.  This meeting offers an opportunity for state energy officials to hear from key policy and decision-makers, learn about new funding and partnership opportunities, and interact with peers.

To prepare and inform conference attendees, NASEO has planned a full week of informative events, with the core conference agenda being complemented by ARRA and committee sessions, as well as site tours and in-depth tracks on topical issues.  The 2010 NASEO Annual Meeting will serve as an essential opportunity for State Energy Office (SEO) directors, staff, and interested stakeholders to hear the latest on innovative financing and project implementation, clean energy technologies, and links between energy, environment, and transportation priorities.

Upcoming NASEO Annual Meeting Session Highlights

• State Energy Program Effectiveness and Impact Evaluation Update
• ARRA State Energy Program and Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Implementation
• DOE ARRA Implementation: Overall Progress and Successes
• Renewable Energy Applications: Electricity and Transportation
• Technology Investments and Innovation: Discovering and Commercializing New Energy Technologies
• Commercial Buildings Consortium: Achieving a High Performing Building Stock
• Appliance Rebate Program: Lessons Learned
• Evolving State and Federal Roles in Energy and Environmental Policy

Please click here to visit the event website to register online, view the preliminary agenda, and learn more about available sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities.

STATE AND LOCAL NEWS

Colorado Energy Office Partners with Three Utilities to Study Distributed PV and Small Hydro

The Colorado Governor's Energy Office (GEO) will join with three local utilities to conduct a detailed study to determine the economic benefits and impacts of tying rooftop solar energy and small hydropower operations into the grid for municipal and rural electricity providers. The study will attempt to quantify the costs and benefits associated with distributed generation of renewable energy for municipal utilities and rural electric cooperatives. This study, to be led by R.W. Beck, will "investigate fully the operational, economic and societal impacts of distributed solar photovoltaic and small hydro on existing and future electric systems," according to the firm. The work is intended to "provide GEO and the utility partners with well-supported and factual basis to determine the impacts from distributed resources to the New Energy Economy." To read more about the study, please click here.

$5.6 Million in ARRA Funds Creates 400 Energy Jobs for College Students in North Carolina

The North Carolina Energy Office announced that twenty-three private businesses, public agencies, and public and private universities will receive $5.6 million to create 400 jobs and internships to give students hands-on experience and training in North Carolina's energy economy. The federal funds will be combined with other private and public dollars to create an internship program worth nearly $8.7 million. The N.C. Energy Office created the program with money from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to provide green-energy-related internship and fellowship programs for talented North Carolina undergraduate and graduate students.  The program seeks to provide on-the-job experiences for current or recently-graduated students to enhance their education and encourage them to consider employment in green-energy related fields in North Carolina. To read more about the programs receiving funding, please click here.

Pennsylvania Makes $6 Million Available for Alternative Fuel Transportation Projects

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is now accepting applications through the state's $6 million Alternative Fuel Incentive Grant program (AFIG) for homegrown fuel projects throughout Pennsylvania. Eligible proposals may include projects that use or produce biofuels, alternative fuels and alternative fuel vehicles, or that deploy fuel-saving technology in the transportation sector. Projects may include retrofitting fleet vehicles to operate on alternative fuels, purchasing an alternative fuel vehicle, installing fleet refueling equipment for alternative fuel vehicles, or supporting next-phase advanced research, development and training. To read more about the program, please click here.

Rhode Island Awards $4.7 Million in ARRA Funding to 25 Energy Projects

Rhode Island Governor Donald L. Carcieri recently announced that the state has conditionally awarded $4.7 million in federal stimulus money to businesses, community groups and local governments for 25 non-utility-scale renewable energy projects. The projects include solar, wind, geothermal and hydro installations and come in addition to 45 projects announced in April. Businesses could apply for up to $500,000 for projects, and municipalities and institutions that serve or house 1,000 or more people were eligible to apply for a maximum of $750,000. The application process was competitive among type of applicant and type of renewable energy system. Within each category selections were based on job creation, energy production, funds leveraged from other sources to complete a project and the cost effectiveness of the system. To read more, please click here to visit Providence Business News. Please click here to read the Rhode Island government's press release and to see descriptions of all projects funded by the grants.

Wyoming Visitor Center is the First Net Zero Energy Building in the State

The new Wyoming Travel and Tourism Visitor's Center in Sundance, Wyoming, is using state of the art renewable energy components that make it the only building of its caliber in the state and one of only a few of its kind in the country.  The Visitor's Center is constructed as a Net Zero Energy Building, a highly energy-efficient structure that uses, over the course of a year, renewable technology to produce as much energy as it consumes. To achieve a Net Zero Energy Building every modern building technique available was employed to reduce heating loads in the winter and cooling loads in the summer. This includes true R-42 wall and ceiling systems using SIP (Structural Insulated Panel) panels composed of urethane and soy versus fiberglass; natural cooling with automatic operable windows and window shading; natural heating with passive solar systems; natural heating/ cooling with geothermal heat sinks; on-site electrical generation with 45KW of photovoltaic panels, and many other features. Please click here to read more.

Do you have news you would like to share? Send us your stories and announcements. Email or call Garth Otto with the details: gotto@naseo.org , 703.299.8800, ext. 16.