By Susan Jarvis
February 11, 2008

During the January 23rd Plenary Luncheon of The United States Conference of Mayors Winter Meeting, Senator Bernie Sanders (VT) thanked the nation’s mayors for the excellent work they are doing in so many areas, including work on passage of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program. Sanders, former mayor of Burlington (VT), was a key champion along with others for securing passage of the Block Grant that is the number one priority set forth in the Mayors’10-Point Plan.

He said, “It has been cities, towns and state government who have stepped up to the plate” with innovations in health care, education, housing, healthcare, and the environment. Major public policy initiatives are increasingly coming from cities and they have championed legislation to help cities reduce energy use and “go green.”

Federal, state, and local governments should be partners, creating an “economy that works for all people,” and addressing the challenges of global warming and environmental degradation, stated Sanders. Local governments need access to the tools to get energy efficient and reduce green house gas emissions, and local economies must move toward sustainable energy and the creation of millions of good paying “green collar jobs.”

While Sanders thanked mayors for their work on getting the energy bill passed, now their focus must turn to getting the program funded. “We need to push for a touchdown…and get these programs funded,” Sanders said. The current funding goal is $2 billion over five years.

The goal of EECBG, modeled after the Community Development Block Grant, is to provide local governments with the money and resources to invest in technologies and approaches to reduce green house gases improve energy efficiencies. “We are giving you very broad parameters to come up with innovations and be experimental,” explained Sanders. Cities are already exploring energy efficient lighting, investing in alternative fuels like solar and wind power, introducing electric and hybrid cars in their fleets, and developing and implementing new job training programs. “In years to come, this will be seen as a sister program to the CDBG.”

Additional provisions of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which will assist cities, include a grant program for colleges and universities and a Capacity Green Jobs Programs to ensure that tomorrow’s workforce will be prepared to meet new environmental challenges. “We can be proud to be leaders in environmental protection,” concluded Sanders. “Thank you for the work you are doing.”