The North Carolina State Energy Office, along with the state Office of Economic Recovery and Investment, has sent the U.S. Energy Department a proposal to invest $20.9 million in federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants. The grants will help create jobs, provide money for greater energy efficiency in North Carolina communities and encourage energy-saving innovations. The grants are funded through the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
The total funding for North Carolina is $58.3 million in this program. Thirty-one cities, counties and the Cherokee Indians are receiving a total of $37.4 million in grants for energy efficiency and conservation directly from the U.S. Energy Department. (A list of those designated cities and counties, and how much they are to receive, follows at the bottom of this release.) The state plan will provide funds, through a competitive proposal process, to those non-designated agencies and communities, including public school systems and community colleges, that are not receiving funding directly from the federal government.
It is estimated that the $20.9 million in grants will save or create at least 300 jobs while saving or generating more than 93.1 million Kilowatt Hours of power – enough power to serve the residential needs of a community of more than 31,000 for a year.
“Communities know their energy needs best and these grants will help them put this funding to use in ways that will create jobs and provide very significant savings in energy costs,” said Larry Shirley, director of the N.C. Energy Office. “Our office will be working with communities and agencies around North Carolina to help assure these funds are put to use quickly, effectively and with the accountability that assures citizens their taxes are wisely spent.”
North Carolina is focusing on four areas for use of the federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants funds:
1. Energy efficiency and renewable energy for buildings.
2. Technical assistance.
3. Energy conservation programs in transportation.
4. Implementation of methane and greenhouse gas technologies.
Sixty percent of the $20.9 million will be distributed competitively in subgrants to “non-entitlement” (non-designated) cities and counties through a competitive process for each of the four areas. Thirty-four percent will also be distributed competitively to public school districts, community colleges and other local public authorities in the energy efficiency and renewable energy for buildings focus area. Six percent of the funds have been allocated for administrative expenses.
The following is a summary of the North Carolina Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants proposal:
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants
$20,925,300
North Carolina Planned Activities
Energy efficiency and renewable energy for buildings
“Non-entitlement” cities and counties:
The state will provide local governments subgrants to implement energy efficiency measures and renewable system installations in their communities. All building types --- governmental, residential, nonprofit, retail, commercial and industrial --- will be eligible to participate. The state will issue competitive solicitations (requests for proposals) for the 90 counties and 526 municipalities that will not receive direct entitlements, but are eligible to receive assistance under this program (a list of “entitlement” or designated cities follows). Funding areas include: Retrofit existing facilities to improve energy efficiency; Design and operation of energy efficiency and conservation programs for buildings and facilities within the jurisdiction of the entity; Identification of the most effective methods for achieving maximum participation and efficiency rates; Public education; Measurement and verification protocols; Identification of energy efficient technologies; Development, implementation and installation of renewable energy technologies on or in any eligible entity; and Onsite renewable energy technology that generates electricity from renewable resources including solar energy, wind energy, fuel cells and biomass. $7,150,000
Public school districts, community colleges and other local public authorities:
The state will provide community colleges, public schools and other local public authorities subgrants to implement energy efficiency measures and renewable energy system installations in their facilities. The state will issue competitive solicitations (request for proposals) for the 58 community colleges and 115 public school districts eligible to receive assistance under this program. Funding areas include: Retrofit existing facilities to improve energy efficiency; Design and operation of energy efficiency and conservation programs for buildings and facilities within the jurisdiction of the entity; Identification of the most effective methods for achieving maximum participation and efficiency rates; Public education; Measurement and verification protocols; Identification of energy efficient technologies; development, implementation and installation of renewable energy technologies on or in any eligible entity; and Onsite renewable energy technology that generates electricity from renewable resources, including solar energy, wind energy, fuel cells and biomass. $6,293,891
Technical assistance
The state will provide local governments technical assistance in the form of preliminary energy surveys, identification of potential projects and creation of a strategic energy plan. The state will issue competitive solicitations (requests for proposals) for the 90 counties and 526 municipalities that will not receive direct entitlements. These entities will be eligible to receive technical assistance funds for activities, including: Preliminary energy surveys where the state will provide the local government unit a consultant to perform walk through audits identifying potential energy efficiency or renewable energy projects; Development of energy efficiency and conservation strategies or strategic energy plans, utilizing information obtained from the walk through audits; and Grant writing assistance for creating a response to general solicitations for projects using Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant funds. $450,000
Energy conservation programs in transportation
The state will issue competitive grants for the development and implementation of programs to conserve energy used in transportation. Eligible projects include the following: Synchronization of traffic signals; State/local/regional integrated planning activities with the goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and vehicle miles traveled; Incentive programs to reduce commutes by single occupancy vehicles; Improvements in operational and system efficiency of the transportation system such as implementation of intelligent transportation system strategies; Idle-reduction technologies and/or facilities to conserve energy, Reduce harmful air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions from freight movement; Installation of solar panels on interstate rights-of-way to conserve energy in highway operations and maintenance activities; and Replacement of traffic signals and street lighting with energy efficiency lighting technologies, including light emitting diodes. $2,500,000
Implementation of methane and greenhouse gas technologies
The state will work with non-entitlement cities and counties to purchase and implement projects which reduce and capture methane and greenhouse gases for the purpose of generating electricity or providing the gas for use as an energy fuel source. Projects will utilize methane and other greenhouse gases generated by landfills or similar waste related sources, such as wastewater treatment plants, operations producing food waste dairy farms and other animal operations. A competitive solicitation will be issued by the state for these type projects. $2,500,000
Project selection and evaluation criteria
• Jobs Created
• Energy Saved
• Renewable Energy Generated
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduced
• Funds Leveraged
• Strategic Energy Plan Completed
• Project Sustainability
• Project Timetable
• Project Reporting and Monitoring
• Project Costs
• Projects in Economically Distressed Regions
• Aggregated regional proposals
ENERGY EFFICIENCY BLOCK GRANTS FOR DESIGNATED CITIES AND COUNTIES
Federal Recovery Act Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant funds will be distributed directly to designated North Carolina cities, counties and tribes as follows:
Asheville $804,700
Burlington $223,900
Cary $1,166,800
Chapel Hill $554,900
Charlotte $6,780,100
Concord $638,800
Durham $2,173,600
Fayetteville $1,652,900
Gastonia $705,700
Goldsboro $183,600
Greensboro $2,554,900
Greenville $777,600
Hickory $209,300
High Point $998,600
Huntersville $175,100
Jacksonville $781,600
Kannapolis $170,300
Raleigh $3,820,400
Rocky Mount $572,100
Wilmington $1,039,900
Wilson $214,900
Winston-Salem $2,262,000
Buncombe $624,800
Cumberland $590,700
Davidson $631,100
Gaston $525,600
Iredell $645,100
Johnston $636.200
Mecklenburg $649,500
Randolph $578,200
Union $751,800
Wake $3,030,300
Cherokee Indians $253,100
