By Debra DeHaney-Howard
May 30, 2011

Santa Ana (CA) Mayor Miguel Pulido and Gresham (OR) Mayor Shane Bemis keynoted consecutive luncheon sessions of a special U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) National Summit on Clean Energy in Arlington (VA). They shared remarks on the progress cities have made in advancing clean energy technology with Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants and other resources.

Speaking as Chair of The U.S. Conference of Mayors Energy Committee, Pulido told the more than 300 state and local government officials and energy policy advisors that, “As we look at cities and all the stuff that you do, we are the implementers; we are the folks that are the real life test labs. We can all have ideas and programs but at the end of the day, if you can’t implement them, they don’t become real and then they just remain on a shelf and nobody benefits. So I think this organization and this group and its efforts are absolutely imperative to moving things forward.”

The DOE'sponsored meeting, titled “State and Local Government Clean Energy Summit: Sustainable Policies and Programs,” was held May 18-19, where plenary and breakout session focused on key state and local energy issues, including energy efficiency and conservation, the clean energy economy, and commercial and residential energy financing. Joining with the two mayors at plenary sessions were DOE Secretary Stephen Chu and Connecticut Governor and former Stamford Mayor Dannel Malloy.

In talking about the partnership with DOE, Pulido said, “The federal investment in the partnership with local governments to implement clean energy programs and projects has been an unqualified success; so much progress has been made through federal investment at the ground level.” He continued, “With this initial investment, we are now ready to fast forward our energy future with real energy technology that works.”

During the closing luncheon, Bemis, who serves as a member of the Conference of Mayors Energy Committee, told participants that his city has benefited from a number of federal partnerships and programs, including the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program. “While Gresham has approached sustainability and clean energy as a local priority, we have also benefited from important federal partnerships n this realm. Along with our energy retrofits at city hall, we are using Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant funding for major solar installation on the premises. This project will leverage energy efficiency and savings, in addition to helping us make progress towards our goal of getting city hall off the grid,” Bemis said.

Citing other federal clean energy programs, Bemis told participants that because of additional investments, his city has positioned itself with all the “right shades of green.” Bemis added, “Our citizens value a robust economy and good jobs, and they also value healthy environment complete with clean energy and efficiency.”

In his remarks, Malloy urged meeting participants to “…push the envelope on energy efficiency and to make an inextricable connection between lower energy costs, increased economic competitiveness, and a cleaner environment.”