Bellingham awarded $780,000 in federal energy efficiency funding
Posted: September 16, 2009 12:19:19 PST
This week the City of Bellingham was awarded $780,100 in federal funding through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program (EECGB). The $2.7 billion grant program, funded for the first time by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009, represents a Presidential priority to deploy the cheapest, cleanest and most reliable energy technologies we have - energy efficiency and conservation - across the country.
"This award will further Bellingham's position as a national leader on energy conservation and sustainable practices," Bellingham Mayor Dan Pike said. "This program is designed to empower local communities to make strategic investments to meet the nation's long-term goals for energy independence and leadership on climate change, and our community is at the forefront of this challenge. We expect these dollars to support projects and retain jobs throughout the community."
"This is just one of the many innovative ways we are supplementing community resources during these difficult financial times," Pike added. "We are very proactively seeking grants and other opportunities to fund the strategic priorities identified by the City Council."
Bellingham proposed four different uses for the funding, totaling $780,100:
- Municipal Facility Energy Conservation Program– This project will employ an energy conservation coordinator to develop a comprehensive Energy Conservation Strategy for City facilities. The majority of the funds will be used to retrofit city facilities with energy-saving measures that have the highest impact on reducing energy consumption. Total budget: $257,100.
- Community Energy Challenge – The City is partnering with Sustainable Connections, the Opportunity Council, Whatcom County, Puget Sound Energy, Cascade Natural Gas and others to promote community-wide energy efficiency improvements. $250,000 of the funds will be used to create a loan mechanism that will leverage an estimated $2.5 million in private investment from local lenders for energy efficiency projects. This mechanism will help community members overcome the first-cost barriers of energy efficiency investing. Total budget: $337,000.
- Green Code Adoption – The International Code Council has approved a National Green Building Standard for residential construction. EECBG funds will allow the City to analyze this, along with other codes that may be suitable for local adoption, and to eliminate barriers to implementing energy efficiency measures while providing greater predictability in the permit review process. Total budget: $23,000.
- Energy Efficient Land Use Planning– Part of the City's infill strategy is to establish a series of compact “urban villages” to accommodate new population growth. EECBG funds will allow the City to continue developing master plans and development regulations that support the creation of urban villages and emphasize connection with local high-frequency transit systems. Total budget: $163,000.
For more details, see the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Program project website at www.cob.org.
###
Media Contact:
Tara Sundin, Special Projects Manager
Planning & Community Development Department
360.778.8392
tsundin@cob.org
| 
