Energy Efforts in Hawaii, Maine, Nebraska, New Mexico, Texas, and Northern Mariana Islands Get DOE Funding

More than $141 million in Recovery Act funding will be divvied up by Hawaii, Maine, Nebraska, New Mexico, Texas, and the Northern Mariana Islands for energy projects.

As part of the Obama Administration’s national strategy to support job growth while making a down payment on clean energy and conservation, the DOE has $3.1 billion in Recovery Act appropriations to boost State Energy Programs (SEPs) around the country.

Activities eligible for SEP funding include energy audits, building retrofits, education and training efforts, transportation programs to increase the use of alternative fuels and hybrid vehicles, and new financing mechanisms to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy investments.

Here's a brief summary of the awards and how the states intend to use portions of their allocations:

• Hawaii - $10, 372,000: Hawaii’s energy efficiency strategy will directly fund high performance buildings, government and residential building retrofits, and energy efficiency measures in the state’s hospitality industry. The program will also provide technical assistance and training to building owners, developers, design professionals, and county building code officials to ensure that new and renovated buildings are designed and built with high efficiency measures.
• Maine - $10,922,000:  To reduce energy use at large industrial facilities in the state, Maine will offer financial assistance to support targeted technical and engineering studies at the facilities.  Additionally, funding will go to expanding a state program to provide energy audits to businesses, allowing for additional businesses to identify opportunities for potential energy savings.
• Nebraska - $12,364,000: The Nebraska SEP will reduce energy consumption, increase energy security and create jobs through incentives for energy efficiency measures in residential, commercial, and industrial sectors, and by providing consumer information on energy efficiency and renewable energy.
• New Mexico - $12,728,400: The state aims to reduce petroleum consumption through various financial incentives to encourage the purchase of new fuel-efficient vehicles, the use of alternative fuels and biofuels, and investments in alternative fuel and biofuel infrastructure. The state will also direct Recovery Act funding to increase building efficiency. 
• Texas - $87,512,800: Texas will introduce a revolving loan program that will enable public facilities to implement building efficiency measures. Recovery Act funds will also be used for competitive grants to state agencies, communities, schools, and hospitals to install and demonstrate solar, wind, biomass, and geothermal energy technologies.
• North Mariana Islands - $7,460,400:  Initiatives include incorporating energy efficiency technologies and practices in buildings and providing for the development, implementation and enforcement of energy policies throughout the government of the Northern Mariana Islands.