News | September 20, 2006

DOE To Award $6 Million To State Partnerships To Increase Energy Efficiency

Washington, DC – U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Alexander Karsner announced that DOE will award $6 million to fund 22 federal-state partnerships that will create innovative initiatives to increase energy savings in residential and commercial buildings. These state partnership grants will help implement training programs, and provide technical assistance and education that will ultimately result in the construction of more energy-efficient buildings. Assistant Secretary Karsner made the announcement while speaking to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

"This $6 million dollars announced today will help reduce our reliance on foreign energy sources, increase energy efficiency and help implement alternative methods of changing ways to power our homes and businesses, an integral part of President Bush's Advanced Energy Initiative," Assistant Secretary Karsner said. "The Energy Department is eager to assist with increasing energy efficiency throughout states as well as contributing to the construction more state-of-the-art energy efficient facilities."

DOE's Building Technologies Program, within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, will oversee funding for these partnerships. DOE anticipates providing $3.9 million for these projects in FY 2006, with the remainder funded in FY 2007 and FY 2008. While actual award dates will vary, DOE expects to make funding available by the end of September 2006. The selection process for state projects to receive awards was based on an evaluation of the merits of their applications, submitted in response to the funding opportunity announcement on March 21, 2006.

The state partnerships selected, subject to negotiation, are:

  • Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority - Southeastern High Performance Buildings
  • Kentucky Office of Energy Policy - Enhanced Building Energy Efficiency Technology in Kentucky
  • Louisiana Department of Natural Resources - Gulf Region High Performance Homes Program
  • Maryland Energy Administration - Mid-Atlantic Home Performance Collaborative
  • Maine State Energy Program, ME Public Utilities Commission - Whole House Energy Efficiency Pilot Project
  • Mississippi Development Authority, Energy Division - Promoting Energy Codes and "Beyond Code" Building Programs through Energy Policy Act 2005 Tax Incentives
  • Missouri Department of Natural Resources - Illinois-Kansas-Missouri Tri-State Residential Energy Efficiency Project
  • New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department - New Mexico's Three Strides Toward Energy Efficient Buildings
  • New York State Energy Research and Development Authority - Multifamily Standardized Training Program - Getting a Handle on Your Building Energy Costs
  • Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection - Implementation of the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code - Pennsylvania Housing Research Center
  • California Energy Commission - California Rebuild America
  • Connecticut Office of Policy and Management - Building Operator Certification for State and Local Public Employees and Employees of Small Commercial/Industrial Organizations
  • Florida Energy Office - Automated Energy Code Compliance System – A Pilot Project for Enhanced Enforcement and Evaluation
  • Michigan - Michigan Home Builders Training: Integrating Building Codes, ENERGY STAR®, and Building America
  • Minnesota Department of Commerce - Energy and Environmental Building Administration Outreach and Training to Transform the Home Market - Build America
  • Minnesota Department of Commerce - Project to Enable Commissioning Provisions in Commercial Energy Codes
  • Montana Department of Environmental Quality - Montana Integrated Approach for Delivering Technical Assistance to Schools and Residential Buildings
  • Rhode Island - Northeast Regional Building Energy Codes Project
  • Texas State Energy Conservation Office - Building Technologies Program-Rebuild America-East Texas Rural Building Initiative
  • Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts - Multi-State High Performance Housing and Energy Code Enhancement Initiative
  • Vermont Department of Public Service - Vermont High Performance Schools Implementation Project
  • Washington Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development - Implementation of a Coordinated Regional ENERGY STAR®, Building America, and Building Energy Code Outreach, Training, and Technical Assistance Program in the Pacific Northwest

For more information, visit: http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/.

SOURCE: U.S. Department of Energy