By Debra DeHaney-Howard
May 3, 2010

Vice President Biden announced on the eve of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will provide more than $450 million to 25 communities through the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) to “ramp-up” energy efficiency building retrofits. Joining Vice President Biden in the April 21 announcement was Energy Secretary Steven Chu, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, and Carol Browner, Assistant to the President for Energy and Climate Change.

The awards are the competitive portion of DOEs Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program, which was funded for the first time under ARRA to assists state and local governments in developing and implementing energy efficiency programs that reduce energy use and carbon emissions. More than 150 communities submitted applications totaling more than $3.5 billion, for the 25 grants and $452 million available, indicating significant demand for investment in energy efficiency and conservation programs.

Under the DOE “Retrofit Ramp Up” program, grantees will develop and implement large-scale energy efficiency retrofits that will make energy efficiency accessible to hundreds of thousands of homeowners and businesses.

According the White House press release, the models created through this program are expected to save households and businesses about a $100 million annually in utility bills, while leveraging private sector resources, to create what funding recipients estimate at about 30,000 jobs across the country during the next three years. In addition, DOE plans to use the lessons learned from these programs to develop best practice guides that can be replicated by other communities nationwide.

The following state and local governments and non-profit organizations were selected for Retrofit Ramp-Up awards:

Austin (TX) - $10 million

Boulder County (CO) - $25 million

Camden (NJ) - $5 million

Chicago Metropolitan Agency for Planning (IL) - $25 million

Greater Cincinnati Energy Alliance (OH) - $17 million

Greensboro (NC) - $5 million

Indianapolis (IN) - $10 million

Kansas City (MO) - $20 million

Los Angeles County (CA) - $30 million

Lowell (MA) - $5 million

Maine - $30 million

Maryland - $20 million

Michigan - $30 million

Missouri - $5 million

Omaha (NE) - $10 million

New Hampshire - $10 million

New York State Research and Development Authority - $40 million

Philadelphia (PA) - $25 million

Phoenix (AZ) - $25 million

Portland (OR) - $20 million

San Antonio (TX) - $10 million

Seattle (WA) - $20 million

Southeast Energy Efficiency Alliance - $20 million

Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority (OH) - $15 million

Wisconsin Energy Conservation Corporation - $20 million