Environment and Energy

Washington, Sept. 1 – A recent report from the Department of Energy illustrates just how hard it can be to get an ambitious new grant program off the ground, particularly when state and local governments are hamstrung by tight budgets and personnel shortages. Even economic stimulus grants designed to save jobs and get the economy moving can create new headaches for the cities, counties and states they are intended to aid.

Washington, June 18 – American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds should not be used to fund pending rebates for work completed prior to the enactment of the law. The Department of Energy’s inspector general recently found that Florida had used about $8.3 million to inappropriately fund a backlog of solar energy program rebates.

Washington, Jan. 7 – The Environmental Protection Agency is required to adjust each states’ allotment of Drinking Water State Revolving Funds under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act if state projects are not under contract by Feb. 17. As a result, the EPA inspector general is urging the agency to identify projects before then that are not under contract and help states meet this deadline.

Washington, Jan. 8 – Weatherization Assistance Program grantees nationwide should expect to see more onsite inspections from Department of Energy officials as a result of extensive internal control deficiencies found in program management in Illinois.

Washington, April 9 — As the Economic Recovery Grants Center reported last month, grant funding appropriated by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA; Pub. L. 111-5) includes a significant line item for a brand-new program administered by the Department of Energy: the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG). Up until recently, details on the program were sparse, and prospective grantees interested in funding for clean energy and energy-conservation measures in their communities had plenty of unanswered questions.

Washington, Feb. 20 -- The Environmental Protection Agency recently released a state-by-state table estimating the funding allocations that will be made for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund and the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund from funds provided by the recently passed American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Washington, Sept. 24 — After months devoted to getting a new, formula grant program for clean and renewable energy projects up and running, the Department of Energy recently provided prospective applicants with their first look at an accompanying, competitive program that will target a handful of more-innovative energy-saving projects.

Washington, July 16 – States looking for ways to encourage their residents to spend money on a new dishwasher or refrigerator could soon offer rebate checks as an incentive, thanks to a rebate program from the Department of Energy.

Washington, May 15 — As part of an ongoing effort to help state and local governments navigate the application process for the new Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program, the Department of Energy is hosting a series of webcasts for prospective applicants to provide helpful suggestions and guidance on allowable projects. The topic of today’s webcast: developing the required “energy efficiency and conservation strategy” that all applicants must submit.

Washington, March 10 — As the Economic Recovery Grants Center reported in Part IV of your first special report last week, a significant portion of Recovery Act grant funds from the Department of Energy (DOE) is allocated to the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants program. Between formula-based and discretionary awards, the Energy Efficiency program will be distributing $3.2 billion to state, local and tribal governments for projects that save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. And if you’re not familiar with the fine details of how this large grant program operates, don’t worry: No one else is, either.