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    Who gets the EE stimulus money?

    Feb. 20, 2009
    By Elisa Wood February 19, 2009 The ink is dry on President Obama’s signature to the federal stimulus bill and word is out that energy efficiency receives more than $20 billion. How will homeowners and businesses benefit? Two sources offer an excellent break-down on the incentives: the Alliance to Save Energy and the Office of […]

    By Elisa Wood

    February 19, 2009

    The ink is dry on President Obama’s signature to the federal stimulus bill and word is out that energy efficiency receives more than $20 billion. How will homeowners and businesses benefit?

    Two sources offer an excellent break-down on the incentives: the Alliance to Save Energy and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, a unit of the US Department of Energy. EERE goes so far as to give the page numbers in the bill that address certain incentives.

    Here is a snap shot of where some of the energy efficiency funds will go.

    Housing & Buildings

    • $5 billion for low-income weatherization assistance, plus an expansion of people who are eligible. An increase in the funding level to $6,500 per home.
    • About $4.75 billion to Housing and Urban Development for public, low-income and Native American housing
    • Tax credit for existing homes extended and increased to 30 percent of cost, up to $1,500 for 2009 and 2010
    • About $8.9 billion for federal buildings, including $4.5 billion for green buildings and $3.6 billion for Department of Defense energy efficiency initiatives

    Appliances

    • $300 million for the Energy Star Program and for matching grants to states that offer rebates to consumers for buying Energy Star appliances.

    Technology

    • $4.5 billion for smart grid projects
    • Up to $2.3 billion allotted for a 30 percent investment tax credit given to those who manufacture renewable energy, energy storage, energy conservation, efficient transmission, and carbon capture and sequestration items.

    Transportation

    • $400 million to encourage the use of plug-in hybrids
    • $17.7 billion for public transportation and rail
    • $2 billion for the manufacture of advanced batteries

    Other

    • $3.1 billion for state energy programs and $3.2 billion in block grants for local governments
    • $500 million to prepare workers for jobs in renewable energy and energy efficiency
    • $9.75 billion for public safety and other government services, including renovation to “green” schools

    Further details are available at http://ase.org/content/article/detail/5388 and http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/news/enn.cfm

    Visit Elisa Wood at www.realenergywriters.com and pick up her free Energy Efficiency Markets podcast and newsletter.

    About the Author

    Elisa Wood | Editor-in-Chief

    Elisa Wood is an award-winning writer and editor who specializes in the energy industry. She is chief editor and co-founder of Microgrid Knowledge and serves as co-host of the publication’s popular conference series. She also co-founded RealEnergyWriters.com, where she continues to lead a team of energy writers who produce content for energy companies and advocacy organizations.

    She has been writing about energy for more than two decades and is published widely. Her work can be found in prominent energy business journals as well as mainstream publications. She has been quoted by NPR, the Wall Street Journal and other notable media outlets.

    “For an especially readable voice in the industry, the most consistent interpreter across these years has been the energy journalist Elisa Wood, whose Microgrid Knowledge (and conference) has aggregated more stories better than any other feed of its time,” wrote Malcolm McCullough, in the book, Downtime on the Microgrid, published by MIT Press in 2020.

    Twitter: @ElisaWood

    LinkedIn: Elisa Wood

    Facebook:  Microgrids

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