Congressman Rick Larsen's Online Office

Washington, D.C. — Today, the Obama Administration announced more than $8 million in economic recovery funds for local governments in the 2nd Congressional District to spend on energy efficiency projects. U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (WA-02) worked to pass the Recovery Act and pushed to include funding for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program. 

“President Obama’s recovery plan is going to work in Northwest Washington to invest in energy efficiency, reduce our dependence on foreign oil and get our economy moving again,” Larsen said today. 

Larsen and his colleague Rep. Norm Dicks (WA-06) worked to include resources for energy efficiency grants in the economic recovery package.  In a December letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Larsen and Dicks wrote, “We encourage you to support additional funding for the Energy Efficiency Block Grant program which will help state and local governments continue to invest in energy efficiency during this difficult time for our economy.”

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was signed into law by President Barack Obama on February 17th.  The legislation will deliver $3.2 billion nationally for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program, which provides resources for projects that reduce energy use and fossil fuel emissions. The recovery act also invests home weatherization, which includes adding insulation, sealing leaks and modernizing heating and air conditioning equipment, investments that pay off in lower energy costs. 

The following federal recovery funds were announced today:

 
Bellingham     $780,100      
Everett     $1,045,400      
Skagit County    $495,100      
Snohomish County    $4,828,400      
Whatcom County    $470,000      
 Lummi Tribe of the Lummi Reservation, Washington     $238300      
 Nooksack Indian Tribe of Washington     $62,900      
 Samish Indian Tribe, Washington     $73,900      
Sauk-Suiattle Indian Tribe of Washington     $25,000      
 Snoqualmie Tribe, Washington     $49,500      
 Stillaguamish Tribe of Washington     $26,400      
 Swinomish Indians of the Swinomish Reservation, Washington     $38,300      
 Tulalip Tribes of the Tulalip Reservation, Washington     $208,000      
 Upper Skagit Indian Tribe of Washington     $33,300      
 Total:     $8,374,600     

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