Governor Doyle Announces $9.5 Million in Recovery Act Grants for Clean Energy Projects

For Immediate Release: April 6, 2010
Contact: Tony Hozeny, Department of Commerce, 608-267-9661
Laura Smith, Office of the Governor, 608-261-2162
Brian Driscoll, Office of Energy Independence, 608-261-8146

Projects Expected to Create 125 Jobs

See a complete list of awards below.

KENOSHA - Governor Jim Doyle announced today that 82 Wisconsin communities will receive $9.5 million in grant awards through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act for retrofits and lighting projects. The Governor made the announcement in Kenosha County, which is receiving the maximum award -- $225,000 -- for a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) retrofit project at their public safety building. These new projects are expected to create about 125 jobs in Wisconsin.

"These grants will help Wisconsin's communities seize the opportunity to grow a strong new part of our economy in clean energy," Governor Doyle said. "Through the Recovery Act, our communities will take the lead as the world moves rapidly in the direction of clean energy and energy efficiency. By working toward these ambitious renewable energy goals, we will create good jobs and continue our state's clean energy leadership."

The grants are funded through the Recovery Act's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program. These grants were made available to Wisconsin towns, villages and counties that did not receive direct federal funding from the U.S. Department of Energy and will be used to retrofit village halls, community centers, libraries and public works buildings. The non-entitlement awardees will also be using new energy efficient lighting technologies, such as LEDs from Wisconsin-based companies, to decrease their overall energy consumption.

Since the program was created, Wisconsin has overseen nearly $1.1 billion in Recovery Act expenditures. Major projects in Wisconsin have included road construction projects, major water infrastructure, and a new high speed rail line that will create thousands of jobs and benefit the state's economy for generations. Under Governor Doyle's leadership, Wisconsin is also the only state to direct 100 percent of the Recovery Act's state energy funds to help the state's largest manufacturers find savings through energy efficiency and create jobs.

Since taking office in 2003, Governor Doyle has worked aggressively to create and retain jobs in Wisconsin. Governor Doyle's budget last year created some of the strongest economic development tools in the nation to help businesses create jobs and get people back to work. Wisconsin now has powerful new tax credits to help manufacturers create and retain jobs, new tools to help investors create start-ups, and new incentives to spur research and development.

Governor Doyle has laid out plans to continue building the state economy and creating jobs, including passing the Clean Energy Jobs Act to create 16,000 jobs in the emerging clean energy economy; creating the Wisconsin Green to Gold Fund to help manufacturers reduce energy costs and create and retain jobs; and passing the CORE Jobs Act to strengthen successful programs for manufacturing, research and development, and worker training.

  Grant Awards

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