Briefing: Energy Stimulus
Gov. Deval Patrick recently announced that more than $13 million in federal stimulus funds will be awarded to more than 100 cities and towns across Massachusetts.
The funding will be used to invest in clean energy and energy efficiency projects, which will reduce those municipalities’ long-term energy costs, increase their energy independence, and also create jobs.
What are the specifics of the funding?
A total of 111 communities will receive funding. 97 cities and towns will receive almost $12.2 million in Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG) from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE).
Another 35 cities and towns will share $825,000 in technical consulting services to provide the necessary expertise to initiate a variety of energy projects.
Twenty-one cities and towns have qualified for both types of funding.
What determined this grant program?
In March of 2009, the DOE allocated $42.2 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds to Massachusetts.
The DOE provided grants directly to 42 communities with populations greater than 35,000 and directed the Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) to create a similar grant program for smaller communities.
How were the benefiting communities chosen?
The DOER’s Green Communities Division selected the 97 communities from a pool of 133, and based those decisions on projected greenhouse gas reductions, the potential for job creation, the available expertise and additional capital from outside partners, and the overall readiness of the projects.
How was Central Massachusetts affected?
In all, Central Massachusetts received more than $2.1 million in funding, which was dispersed between 17 cities and towns.
Those communities are: Ashburnham ($150,000), Ayer ($150,000), Bellingham ($135,675), Berlin ($65,000), Clinton ($150,000), Franklin ($99,500), Gardner ($150,000), Grafton ($143,000), Holden ($82,000), Hudson ($150,000), Lancaster ($79,627), Lunenburg ($150,000), Medway ($150,000), Shrewsbury ($150,000), Sudbury ($141,864), Sutton ($150,000), and Townsend ($53,730).
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