Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants

The Recovery Act appropriated funding for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to award formula-based grants to states, units of local government and Indian tribes under the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program.

The Department of Commerce (formerly CTED) Energy Policy Division will administer $10,645,000 in block grants for cities with fewer than 35,000 and counties with fewer than 200,000 in population. Block grants will be directly awarded to cities of at least 35,000 and counties at least 200,000 in population, and to tribes through the Department of Energy.

Of the $10.6M, $6.4M will be available from Commerce for grants to small cities with fewer than 35,000 and small counties with fewer than 200,000 in population. The remaining $4.2 million will be used for three purposes: 1) support the administration of the program; 2) expand the current network of resource conservation managers into more local governments; and 3) provide local governments with energy efficiency and conservation planning assistance and resources.

Commerce filed its application and strategy for administration of these funds to DOE on June 22, 2009. The U.S. DOE has 120 days to review and approve applications. Upon approval by U.S. DOE, Commerce will issue a notice of competitive application to all eligible cities and counties. The deadline for submitting applications to Commerce will be September 1, 2009, or four weeks after U.S. DOE approval and issuance of the notice of application, whichever is later. In the meantime, Commerce has provided preliminary guidelines for the competitive application process.

Expansion of the current network of resource conservation managers (RCM) into more local governments will be administered by the Washington State University (WSU) Extension Energy Program. All cities and counties will be eligible. WSU is in the process of developing the program. Approximately $750,000 will be available. More information can be found on the RCM Program Fact Sheet.

Commerce’s Growth Management Services will administer energy efficiency and conservation planning grants through a competitive process for all cities and counties, regardless of size and whether they are receiving direct formula funds. The focus of these grants will be on efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, and dependence on foreign oil through transportation plans and programs. The Department is in the process of developing preliminary application guidelines. Approximately $770,000 will be available. More information can be found on the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Planning Program fact sheet.

The Energy Policy Division of Commerce is maintaining a list of interested parties and will send out notices regarding the guidelines, workshops, and final notice of application to all interested parties and eligible applicants. Please send an e-mail to energy_policy@Commerce.wa.gov if you wish to be on the distribution list.

Accountability will be important and evaluation will be a component of the program. Fund recipients must comply with all requirements under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. For more information on the accountability requirements, please see the related article in the Federal section of this Bulletin as well as the preliminary application guidelines link mentioned above.

Governor’s Broadband Advisory Council

In June and July 2009 the Governor’s Broadband Advisory Council met three times to make recommendations to the Governor on the principal components of the state's use of federal stimulus funding to promote and sustain broadband service availability and utilization as an engine for economic development, job growth, education and research, and other recognized public purposes. For council materials, including a draft final report, visit the Department of Information Services website, http://broadband.dis.wa.gov/meetings.aspx.

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