Stimulus Money Going to Energy Projects in Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, New York and the Virgin Islands

Energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives in Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, Montana, New York, and the U.S. Virgin Island have received the go-ahead from the Department of Energy.

Under DOE’s State Energy Program (SEP), states and territories have proposed statewide plans that prioritize energy savings, create or retain jobs, increase the use of renewable energy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

With the July announcement, the states and territory noted above will now have received 50 percent of their total Recovery Act SEP funding. The remaining 50 percent will be released once states meet reporting, oversight, and accountability milestones required by the Recovery Act.

Here's a brief summary of how the states intend to use some of the SEP monies:

• Arkansas - $15.7 million: Arkansas will use over half of its SEP Recovery Act funding to establish two loan programs to encourage industry and state buildings to invest in energy efficiency technologies. These energy efficiency upgrades are intended to reduce utility bills for both sectors and make businesses more profitable.
• Georgia - $32.9 million: The state will use a large portion of the Recovery Act funding to implement the State Utilities Retrofit Program, administered by the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority. In this new program, the state of Georgia proposes to allocate $65 million to retrofit state government facilities.
• Kentucky - $21 million:  Kentucky will reduce energy consumption through energy efficiency and education assistance to state and local agencies, schools, nonprofits, and the commercial, industrial and agricultural sectors. These programs will include energy audits and funding assistance for building retrofits in schools and public buildings to reduce operating expenses and save taxpayers money.
• Mississippi -  $16.1 million: The state plans to initiate a “lead by example” program to enhance energy efficiency in state buildings, including the installation of advanced smart meters to monitor real-time energy consumption.  Meters that can gather energy data quickly and identify equipment problems will be installed in various state agencies.
• Montana - $10.3 million: SEP funds will support energy efficiency improvements to 50 state-owned buildings and will provide for a significant expansion of the State Buildings Energy Conservation Program. The state will also use the funds for grants to speed the implementation of new clean energy technologies that have moved into the production phase but are not yet well known or utilized in the state.
• New York - $49.2 million: New York will direct its funding to programs that will accelerate the introduction of alternative-fuel vehicles into New York communities, boost the energy efficiency of buildings across the state, increase compliance with the state’s energy codes, and expand the use of solar power.
• U.S. Virgin Islands - $8.2 million: The Virgin Islands Energy Office (VIEO) will establish or expand multiple programs to reduce energy demand in buildings and the transportation sector through energy efficiency education, outreach, and financial assistance. VIEO will also work to implement a financial incentive program for residents to encourage the purchase of hybrid and electric vehicles.