Grants available for New Energy Communities

Hey folks, while on the way to somewhere else, I stumbled upon this info:

The Department of Local Affairs partnered with the Governor's Energy Office (GEO) to offer a new program in 2008 designed to:

• Maximize energy efficiency and conservation;
• Enhance community livability;
• Promote economic development in downtowns; and
• Address climate change by reducing carbon emissions.

The New Energy Communities Initiative rewarded local governments working collaboratively to position their communities at the forefront of the state's New Energy Economy. The program directed approximately $10 million in Energy Impact Assistance funds to (maximum of $2 million per project) striving to create integrated, vibrant and sustainable communities. By bundling existing GEO energy efficiency and conservation programs and offering them in a packaged format with DOLA financial and technical assistance programs, the initiative created a comprehensive strategy for promoting local sustainable community development efforts.

The program has three areas of focus:

Greening Public Facilities –

Assist county and municipal governments to upgrade, retrofit or develop energy efficient public facilities such as county courthouses, city halls, public works facilities, libraries, judicial facilities and community centers.

Greening Downtowns –

Provide technical and financial resources for energy efficient upgrades/retrofits, streetscape improvements and downtown revitalization.

Greening Homes –

Provide the necessary technical resources to aid local governments in both educating homeowners on programs to incorporate energy efficient upgrades/retrofits and adopting model building codes to ensure that new housing stock meets higher energy efficiency standards.

A program like this could help convince our local elected officials that now is the time to make bold green statements... More info here.