The Minneapolis City Council and Mayor R.T. Rybak have approved plans to use $3.9 million in energy efficiency funds from the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009. Minneapolis is among the first cities in the country to commit to using the highest possible amount of its grant to help small businesses conserve energy and save on energy costs.
The Mayor and City Council have approved using 20 percent of the City’s EECBG funding (the maximum allowed by the Department of Energy) to establish a revolving loan fund for non-residential energy efficiency and conservation. This $780,000 will be used to leverage existing incentives and business loan programs by partnering with utilities, other governmental units, and energy nonprofits that offer assistance to small businesses.
Another 20 percent of the funding, about $780,000 will be used to support energy efficiency improvements to residences in Minneapolis. This will include $75,000 to fund additional climate change grants, a successful program the City of Minneapolis has pioneered in the last several years to partner with non-profits on programs and projects that encourage residents to take actions to reduce their energy use.
The Mayor and City Council approved using half the grant funding, about $1.95 million to fund energy efficiency and renewable energy projects at local government facilities. In the coming months, energy audits and engineering studies will be done on a variety of facilities to determine where and how the funding will be directed.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) offers cities, counties and states a way to fund and implement strategies that reduce fossil fuel emissions and enhance the sustainability of transportation, buildings and other energy programs. Minneapolis expects to receive $3.9 million of one-time recovery funding directly from this source.
June 12, 2009