In Support of Multiyear Reauthorization and Robust Annual Funding of the Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant (EECBG)
Adopted at the 91st Annual Meeting in 2023
WHEREAS, cities must address these challenges to secure our future economic well-being and security; and
WHEREAS, a stronger federal partnership with local governments on investment in energy efficiency and renewable energy would support local efforts to confront these energy challenges; and
WHEREAS, the United States and its cities must address these energy challenges to maintain and expand the nation's competitive position in the global economy, build livable and sustainable communities, and enhance job and economic development benefits related to energy efficiency and renewable energy; and
WHEREAS, the transportation and building sectors are our nation's leading sources of energy consumption and associated emissions; and
WHEREAS, sustained local government action in the transportation and building sectors and in other sectors has shown that increased energy efficiency and expanded renewable energy use can move cities toward less carbon intensity; and
WHEREAS, these successful city initiatives could be expanded dramatically and yield much greater results if the federal-local partnership was strengthened to support and accelerate such local action; and
WHEREAS, the Energy Independence & Security Act of 2007 (PL 110-140) established an innovative and successful mechanism to support such local government efforts when it authorized $10 billion in funding for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program at the United States Department of Energy; and
WHEREAS, the EECBG program includes direct formula grants directly to cities, counties, and states to invest in new energy efficiency and renewable energy strategies, programs, and projects; and
WHEREAS, EECBG is a flexible program that allows local governments to invest in a wide array of locally determined energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, including those focused on the transportation and building sectors; and
WHEREAS, Congress appropriated $3.2 billion for EECBG in FY 2009, including $2.8 billion for formula grants to cities, counties, and states; and
WHEREAS, in a 2015 Oak Ridge National Laboratory study, National Evaluation of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant, determined the program to be exceptionally effective and finding that that local governments put FY 2009 EECBG funding to excellent use, investing in projects that:
- Saved 409 million MMBtu of energy,
- Generated 4.2MMBtu of renewable energy,
- Created 62,902 jobs,
- Avoided 25.7 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions,
- Saved $1.7 billion in social costs of carbon, and
- Reduced local government energy bills by $5.2 billion; and
WHEREAS, the United States Department of Energy will soon make formula grant allocations of FY 2022 EECBG funds; and
WHEREAS, EECBG is a federal-local partnership that empowers local communities, and cities and counties have a proven track record of using the program to deliver a lot of bang for the buck; and
WHEREAS, Representatives Greg Stanton (D-AZ), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Marc Veasey (D-TX), and Jefferson Van Drew (R-NJ) have introduced bipartisan legislation (HR 1520) in the United States House of Representatives that would reauthorize EECBG at $3.5 billion per year for FY 2024 through FY 2028.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, the U.S. Conference of Mayors urges Congress to enact a multiyear reauthorization of EECBG.
BE IT FUTHER RESOLVED, the U.S. Conference of Mayors thanks Representatives Stanton, Fitzpatrick, Veasey, and Van Drew for introducing HR 1520.
BE IT FUTHER RESOLVED, the U.S. Conference of Mayors calls on Congress to support robust annual funding of $3.5 billion annually for EECBG, beginning in FY 2024.