Neil's Notebook Hawaii receives $10.4M in economic recovery funds for renewable energy projects
July 10, 2009
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced more than $141 million in Recovery Act funding to support energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in Hawaii, Maine, Nebraska, New Mexico, the Northern Mariana Islands and Texas.
Hawaii is receiving $10.4 million for the State Energy Program to improve energy efficiency and expand the deployment of renewable energy technologies, which will help advance mutual state and national goals for creating and maintaining jobs, reducing oil dependence, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Hawaii’s energy efficiency strategy will directly fund high performance buildings, government and residential building retrofits, and energy efficiency measures in the state’s hospitality industry. The program will also provide technical assistance and training to building owners, developers, design professionals, and county building code officials to ensure that new and renovated buildings are designed and built with high efficiency measures.
Hawaii will target bringing buildings to ENERGY STAR and Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards.
After demonstrating successful implementation of its plan, the state will receive almost $13 million in additional funding, for a total of nearly $26 million
Under the U.S. Department of Energy'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 program is part of the Obama Administration’s national strategy to support job growth, while making a historic down payment on clean energy and conservation.
“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."
In addition to Hawaii, the following states and territories are receiving 40 percent of their total State Energy Program (SEP) funding authorized under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act today: Maine, Nebraska, New Mexico, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Texas.
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 Recovery Act appropriated $3.1 billion to the State Energy Program (SEP) to help promote energy efficiency and clean energy deployment, as well as to support local economic recovery. States use these grants at the state and local level to create green jobs and address state energy priorities.
Transparency and accountability are important priorities for SEP and all Recovery Act projects. Throughout the program’s implementation, DOE will provide strong oversight at the local, state, and national level, while emphasizing with states the need to quickly award funds to help create new jobs and stimulate local economies.
