Commerce Department Teams With Energy Office on Private, Community Investments

In a joint pursuit of federal energy funding, the Department of Commerce (Commerce) is gearing up to administer over $92,000,000 in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds from the U.S. Department of Energy. The Wisconsin Office of Energy Independence (OEI) has submitted applications to the Department of Energy for these funds and approval is pending

After approvals are obtained, staff of the Division of Business Development will administer a competitive grant/loan program of $55,488,000 to be targeted toward private business enterprises for the purposes of developing renewable energy projects, manufacturing clean energy products and assisting manufacturers with energy efficiency and renewables project in their facilities.

Meanwhile, staff from OEI have teamed up with staff from Commerce's Division of Housing and Community Development (HCD) in conducting public outreach meetings with local officials to explain-and answer questions about-the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program (EECBG). Created in 2007 by Congress, this program was not funded until the passage of the ARRA (stimulus act). It provides $37,100,000 to local governments in Wisconsin through both entitlement and non-entitlement grants. Commerce will administer the non-entitlement grants through a competitive grant application program.

The money from the EECBG program will be used for energy retrofits and efficiency in local government buildings and in energy efficient municipal lighting projects. Entitlement communities will receive about two-thirds of the funds, and will expend them on a variety of energy-saving projects.

Most of the awards from both programs should be deployed by sometime in the fall of 2009.

Additionally, later this year local governments will be able to compete for two additional EECBG programs totaling $54,000,000 and $398,000,000 nationally.

"The Department of Commerce deserves a great deal of credit for taking on these additional programs. Though it is a lot of work, these funds are designed to create and retain jobs, save energy and money, and help retool industries to be competitors in clean energy markets," said Judy Ziewacz, Director of the Office of Energy Independence.

Another joint effort between the OEI and Commerce will be the Wisconsin Energy Independence Fund (WEIF.) The Executive budget now in the Legislature provides for $14,000,000 for continuation and funding of the renewable energy grant and loan program initiated by Governor Doyle last year. Commerce administers this program, and will begin taking applications for it once the budget is enacted and signed, and funding levels are known.

-- David Jenkins, OEI, and Jim O'Keefe