Beginning August 4, Climate Communities weekly webinars will be for members only
Join Climate Communities today to stay connected with the webinars. E-mail andy@climatecommunities.us for membership details.
Action alert: Urge your House Member to co-sponsor legislation that would enable PACE financing
On Wednesday, July 20th, Representatives Nan Hayworth (R-NY), Dan Lundgren (R-CA) and Mike Thompson (D-CA) introduced the PACE Assessment Protection Act of 2011 (H.R. 2599) in the U.S. House of Representatives. This legislation would restore the right of states and local governments to establish Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) programs. Contact your Member of Congress and urge them to be a co-sponsor of this bill. Click here for more information.
Pompeo amendment to eliminate federal funding for clean vehicles and alternative fuel infrastructure fails in the House
Thanks to your calls and e-mails to House members, Rep. Mike Pompeo's (R-KS) amendment to the FY 2012 Energy and Water Appropriations Bill did not pass. The amendment would have eliminated funding for the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Vehicle Technologies Program, which manages the Clean Cities initiative. The Vehicle Technologies Program is the main program that funds local and regional efforts to purchase clean vehicles and develop alternative fuel infrastructure.
Climate Communities hosts successful 2011 Local Clean Energy Leadership Summit; PowerPoint presentations available
On June 15-17, Climate Communities convened the nation's top city and county leaders in Washington, DC, to showcase successful local clean energy and sustainability initiatives, share best practices and highlight the need for additional federal resources at the local government level.
To download a copy of the Local Clean Energy Leadership Summit's agenda, click here. PDFs of the PowerPoints presented at the Local Clean Energy Leadership Summit are available below:
Clean Energy Outlook: President Obama's FY 2012 Energy Efficiency and Electric Vehicle Budget Requests
Reducing Energy Costs in Local Government: Best Practices in City Hall Retrofits, Street Light & Traffic Signal Upgrades, Green Infrastructure Improvements, and More
Leading the Transition to Renewable Energy: Profiles of Successful Solar, Biomass and Geothermal Initiatives
Shifting to Alternative Fuel Vehicles and Infrastructure: Lessons from Local Government Experts
Tackling Commercial and Residential Retrofits: Effective Outreach and Incentives
Financing Local Clean Energy and Sustainability Initiatives: How to Leverage Public Dollars with Private Sector and Other Resources
Adapting to the Impacts of Climate Change: Steps to Make Your Community More Resilient
Reducing Vehicle Miles Traveled: Policies and Planning that Provide Greater Transportation Options
The Power of Partnerships: Fostering Climate Protection Collaboration Among Local Governments, Businesses, Universities, and Non-Profits
Climate Communities proposal for FY 2012 competitive EECBG funding
America’s cities and counties have taken the lead in implementing clean energy solutions by serving as laboratories of innovation. Local governments are providing low-cost financing for energy efficiency retrofits of buildings; setting and enforcing building efficiency standards; developing community-scale renewable energy; utilizing low-emission vehicles and fuels; installing alternative fuels infrastructure; promoting smart land use and increased mass transit to reduce vehicle miles traveled; and developing clean energy jobs. To build upon the success of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG) and maintain the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) partnership with local governments, Climate Communities has developed a proposal that would dedicate $250 million to provide local grants to localities for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects in FY 2012.
An opportunity exists in FY 2012 to urge Congress to direct a portion of the DOE funding that it traditionally earmarked into competitive EECBG funding for local governments. A $250 million competitive grant program would allow Congress to make good on its pledge reduce federal spending, while continuing to provide federal investment in important local projects that reduce energy use, save local energy costs, curb emissions and create jobs.
In 2008, Climate Communities proposed that Congress create a similar grant program for local governments to implement wide-ranging initiatives that produced significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. This proposal became the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Climate Showcase Communities program, which has awarded $10 million in each of the last two years for municipalities to undertake climate action projects. Climate Communities will be working to duplicate this success by securing funding for the proposed energy grants in 2011.
Click here for a copy of Climate Communities' FY 2012 competitive grant proposal. Please provide feedback to Andrew Seth at (202) 261-6011 or andy@climatecommunities.us. |
