By Kevin McCarty
July 27, 2009

Prior to the expiration of its June 25 deadline, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) extended the application deadline for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program to August 10 at 8:00 p.m.

While the extension is helpful to many cities and counties who wanted more time to complete their applications, most cities and counties eligible for EECBG formula grants submitted their applications on or before the June 25 deadline, fulfilling this initial requirement for accessing this new source of funding in support of local energy and climate initiatives.

The new August deadline is expected to be the final date by which formula grant recipients can submit their application to claim their share of the $2.8 billion provided in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Successful implementation of the EECBG program and sustained annual program funding are top priorities of the Conference of Mayors and its member mayors.

Next month DOE officials are expected to begin notifying individual cities and counties that their formula grant applications are complete and have been accepted. If for some reason an application is considered deficient, DOE will notify these cities and counties that adjustments are needed for an approvable application.

Once a city or county is notified officially that its application has been approved, the jurisdiction will have up to 120 days to submit an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy, which is a prerequisite for receiving its full EECBG grant award.

A number of cities elected to submit their completed Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategies with their grant applications, which means that these cities will be receiving DOE approval of their applications and strategies concurrently, making them eligible sooner for their full grant awards.

For cities ineligible for direct formula funding, EECBG funds are available through their respective states. Each state will soon have its own program in place to serve non-formula cities and counties, following DOE approval of state plans for dispersing EECBG funds.

Under the law, 28 percent of all EECBG funding is allocated to the states, with a requirement that at least 60 percent of these funds be passed through to those cities and counties that did not receive direct funding through a formula grant.

According to DOE officials, cities that have not yet filed their applications will still be able to use the e-mail submittal option announced last month, although these applicants are encouraged to file their applications electronically through FedConnect.

More information on these issues and others is available at DOE's special EECBG program website at http://www.eecbg.energy.gov/ and through the Conference's website at http://usmayors.org/.