Renewable energy projects in five states and a U.S. territory will share in $141 million in Recovery Act… aka the “stimulus”… funding.
This U.S. Department of Energy press release says that Secretary Steven Chu made the announcement that includes energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in Hawaii, Maine, Nebraska, New Mexico, the Northern Mariana Islands and Texas:
Under DOE’s State Energy Program, states and territories have proposed statewide plans that prioritize energy savings, create or retain jobs, increase the use of renewable energy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions…
“This funding will provide an important boost for state economies, help to put Americans back to work, and move us toward energy independence,” said Secretary Chu. “It reflects our commitment to support innovative state and local strategies to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy while insisting that taxpayer dollars be spent responsibly.”
With today’s announcement, these states and territories will now have received 50 percent of their total Recovery Act SEP funding. The initial 10 percent of total funding was previously available to states to support planning activities; the remaining 50 percent of funds will be released once states meet reporting, oversight, and accountability milestones required by the Recovery Act.
Activities eligible for State Energy Program funding include energy audits, building retrofits, education and training efforts, transportation programs to increase the use of alternative fuels and hybrid vehicles, and new financing mechanisms to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy investments.
The specifics of how much is going to hybrids and alternatives and how much is going to better light bulbs wasn’t in the press release, but you can be sure that each one of these states will be touting their individual pots of monies. We’ll keep watching to let you know where the money is going.