Federal and State Grant Programs, page 3

Federal Grant Programs (con't.)

Awards from Past Federal Grant Cycles

This section includes information about awards from past federal agency grant cycles.

Department of Energy: Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program

In general: The federal recovery and stimulus legislation signed into law by President Obama on February 19, 2009, included $3.2 billion to fund a new Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program, authorized in 2007 but not previously funded. In brief, the Colorado state government and the 20 largest cities and 10 largest counties in the state were entitled to direct grants of specified amounts, so long as they met the program's basic requirements. For the identity of those Colorado cities and counties and the amounts they are eligible to receive, which total just over $33 million, see the April 9 Network Update referred to below. The Colorado state government, through the Governor's Energy Office, distributed all of its direct-grant funds, about $9.6 million, on a competitive basis, to cities and counties not large enough to be entitled to direct grants. In addition, all cities and counties, regardless of size, as well as state governments, consortia of local governments, and Indian tribes, were eligible to apply to the U.S. Department of Energy for other grants, from $455 million awarded by DOE on a national competitive basis.

The 2009 EECBG grants were awarded on a three-year basis. Currently, prospects for future funding for the program are uncertain. Efforts are underway to secure additional funding in the federal Fiscal Year 2012 budget, such as the Energy Block Grants Work! campaign under the auspices of a national coalition of local governments known as Climate Communities.

For detailed information, see the Department of Energy's website on this program.

Grants awarded in Colorado:

  • Colorado Climate Network Update, April 9, 2009: This Update lists amounts that the Colorado state government, the state's 20 largest cities, the state's 10 largest counties, and two Indian tribes are eligible to receive as direct grants.

  • The Governor's Energy Office's website on the the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) contains information on how GEO is using the EECBG funds to promote energy efficiency and clean energy in communities who were not direct recipients of EECBG grants.

Department of Energy: Community Renewable Energy Deployment Projects

In general: In a January 21, 2010 news release, DOE announced the selection of five projects to receive more than $20.5 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to support deployment of community-based renewable energy projects, such as biomass, wind, and solar installations. These projects are intended to promote investment in clean energy infrastructure that will create jobs, help communities provide long-term renewable energy and save consumers money. They will also serve as models for other local governments, campuses, or small utilities to replicate, allowing other communities to design projects that fit their individual size and energy demands.

Grants awarded in Colorado: Phillips County was awarded a $2.5 million grant to build a a community-owned 30 MW wind energy project.

Environmental Protection Agency: Climate Showcase Communities Grants

In general: In 2009, EPA launched a $10 million competitive grant program to assist local and tribal governments in establishing and implementing climate change initiatives. The overall goal of the Climate Showcase Communities grant program is to create replicable models of sustainable community action that generate cost-effective and persistent greenhouse gas reductions while improving the environmental, economic, public health, or social conditions in a community. Applications were evaluated based on the criteria stated in the 2009 Request for Applications (PDF) (22 pp, 396K, About PDF ) and clarified in the Formal Agency Responses to Questions (PDF) (29 pp, 181K).

Grants awarded in Colorado: The City and County of Denver's Denver Neighborhood Climate Prosperity Project was among the 24 grants awarded in the first round of funding. All of the awarded grants are listed on the Climate Showcase Communties website.

A second round of grants were announced by EPA in its 2010 Request for Proposals (PDF). Applications were due in July 2010 and awards will be announced in early 2011.

 

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