DOE Awards Almost $145 Million for Clean Energy Projects

The Energy Department will spend $144.7 million in Recovery Act money to set up eight new research and testing facilities at seven of its national laboratories, and to support clean energy projects in Maine and Florida.

The eight projects at DOE's national laboratories will receive $104.7 million, and the Main and Florida projects will get almost $40 million.

The national lab projects will focus on the development and improvement of clean energy and efficiency technologies of strategic national interest, including ways to cut the production cost of carbon fiber manufacturing, reduce the weight of vehicles, improve efficiency and reduce cost for car batteries and net-zero energy building technologies. The effort will use the combined intellectual and technical pool of resources to support Smart Grid technologies that will help transform the economy, create new jobs and cut carbon emissions.

"Our national laboratories are national treasures and home to world-leading science," said Deputy Energy Secretary Daniel Poneman. "As they have since their founding, they are helping us tackle the great challenges of our day, including energy and climate. Their innovation and ingenuity are helping jumpstart American manufacturing, accelerate job creation and lay the foundation for a clean energy economy."

The Maine and Florida grants are funded through DOE's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program. Florida will receive $30,401,600—the lion's share of the almost $40 million total—for a variety of projects that include: energy efficiency promotion across the state, energy retrofits for state buildings, rebates for plug-in electric vehicles and education and training initiatives that are intended to reduce energy use and save money. It also will fund competitive grants to cities and counties for similar projects.

In Maine, the $9,593,500 it receives will pay for promoting development of a clean and renewable energy infrastructure, helping the state's economy, saving or creating more than 100 green jobs and providing competitive grants to cities and counties for energy saving projects such as financial incentive programs, energy efficiency retrofits, transportation programs, energy distribution and the installation of renewable energy technologies in state buildings.

Of the state grants, Energy Secretary Steven Chu said "This funding will allow states across the country to make major investments in energy solutions that will strengthen America's economy and create jobs at the local level. It will also promote some of the cheapest, cleanest and most reliable energy technologies we have—energy efficiency and conservation—which can be deployed immediately."

At least 60% of the state awards will be passed on to cities and counties that are ineligible for direct EECBG money. And the grants come with some fairly strict requirements. Recipients must provide strong oversight and transparency, comply with all environmental regulations and submit a conservation strategy to DOE.

   Smart Grid Stimulus resources on SGN

   DOE awards for Maine and Florida

   National laboratories research and testing project grants