National Governors' Association Awards Grants for Clean Energy

The National Governors Association Center for Best Practices (NGA Center) today awarded grants of $50,000 to 12 states to help them advance clean energy projects in their states. The awards were made as part of the Clean Energy States Grant Program, a program under NGA Chair Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty's Securing a Clean Energy Future Initiative (SCEF Initiative), and are designed to help overcome obstacles to greater energy efficiency, conservation and use of clean energy resources in the states.

Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Montana, North Carolina and Utah were selected to receive grants. These states identified clean energy projects that would benefit from grant support, articulated challenges to achieving completion of these projects, described how the clean energy project fits into the state's broader clean energy goals, and offered a plan for how grant funds will assist in devising a strategy to overcome the challenges.

"These awards will build upon the tremendous efforts underway across the country and give vital clean energy projects the added push they need to reach the finish line," said Gov. Pawlenty. "America is at a tipping point, and states are moving the nation towards clean energy policies and a more independent and secure energy future."
Grant assistance will go towards research, analysis, meetings, training, outreach or other efforts necessary to develop and advance clean energy efforts underway in the 12 states. The selected states' projects span a range of topics, including building energy codes, energy efficiency programs, renewable energy sources and cleaner transportation fuels. Examples of clean energy projects selected for support include:
• Developing a training curriculum to ensure adherence to an updated statewide building energy code;
• Piloting an innovative energy efficiency program for home owners and small businesses;
• Identifying and quantifying renewable energy potential to help utilities meet a 20 percent renewable energy goal;
• Analyzing the costs and benefits of electric vehicles as part of a plan for large-scale deployment; and
• Conducting a lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions study of ethanol fuel use to inform the development of a low carbon fuel standard.

The clean energy grants are made possible by generous support from American Electric Power, Dominion Resources, The Ford Motor Company, The Rockefeller Brothers Fund and the NGA Center. Additional funding from the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation will help support a technical assistance workshop for states to be held in Washington, D.C. this fall.

States were selected through a competitive process open to all states and U.S. territories by a panel of independent reviewers.