The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block
Grants (EECBG) program is intended to help local governments, cities
and counties, implement strategies to encourage energy efficiency and
renewable energy initiatives. The program emphasizes a community-based
approach to help meet energy and climate-protection goals. $9.7 million
in grant funding is available on a competitive basis to small local
governments. Virginia’s 21 Planning District Commissions will
administer the program and assist localities in the development of proposals,
which will be ranked and awarded by the Department of Mines, Minerals
and Energy in the fall of 2009. Application deadline: 6 November 2009.
2010-03-23
Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, Virginia’s
Chief Jobs Creation Officer, announced today, on behalf of Governor
Bob McDonnell, that $13.2 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act (ARRA) Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program is
being awarded to 39 energy conservation projects proposed by local governments.
Two of these are for Northern Neck projects (a regional revolving loan
fund for home energy improvements, $421,179; and a Town of White Stone
energy efficiency and conservation strategy development, $ 52,250).
2009-11-10
Several Northern Neck localities took advantage of
the opportunity to apply for Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block
Grant funding. Among the projects requesting funding:
1) An LED Lighting Demonstration Project for the
Town of Warsaw's Courthouse Square Complex.
2) An Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy
for the Town of White Stone's Comprehensive Plan, including a light-bulb
demonstration project.
3) A regional recycling pilot project for the school
districts of the Northern Neck.
4) A regional Weatherization Expansion Program
to retrofit homes with the assistance of 0%-interest loans from a
revolving-loan program.
5) The Mary Ball Road Neighborhood Improvement
Project and Energy Efficiency Upgrade in the Town of Kilmarnock.
6) A Solar Power Demonstration and Learning Center
at the Northern Neck Farm Museum in Northumberland County.
7) The implementation of energy-conservation measures
prescribed by a technical energy audit of all school buildings in
Lancaster County.
All together, the applications have requested close
to $900,000 in funding from the Stimulus Package program that is being
administered by Virginia's Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy
(DMME). If all applications get funded, they are expected to create
twenty jobs in the region, save 3,933,682 Kilowatt-hours per year in
energy consumption, and provide an annual reduction of 2,895 metric
tons in the production of carbon dioxide.
The Northern Neck Planning District Commission assisted
with several of these applications. Grant awards are expected to be
announced in the next two months, once DMME reviews and scores the applications.
2009-10-13 and 14
The Northern Neck Planning District Commission offered
a workshop on these two days to discuss EECBG opportunities with representatives
from the localities and from various organizations. Potential applications
mentioned at the workshop:
- A regional recycling program at all schools,
organized by RC&D
and SWCD for the
four counties of the Northern Neck
- A street-lights demonstration project using
LED lights
- Inclusion of an "Energy Element"
in a locality's comprehensive plan now being revised
- An energy-efficient HVAC system for a public
building now under construction