JANUARY 25, 2010 – Governor Jennifer M. Granholm today announced that the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor, and Economic Growth (DELEG) has awarded $17.4 million in grants to 125 cities, villages, townships, and counties throughout Michigan to support local energy efficiency projects.  The state Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG) are funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Recovery Act).

DELEG's Bureau of Energy Systems (BES) awarded the EECBG grants to projects that will create and retain jobs, save energy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. A list of the recipients and project descriptions is attached.

"These Recovery Act funds will assist our ongoing efforts in moving to a clean energy economy," said Governor Granholm.  "Investing in energy-saving projects throughout Michigan will boost the state's energy efficiency and renewable energy industries, reduce energy costs for communities, and create jobs."

BES is administering these grants through two separate programs:

• Multi-purpose competitive grants for smaller communities will support energy efficiency measures such as replacing high-energy systems in municipal buildings and street lighting, creating or expanding community recycling programs, and installing small-scale renewable energy generating systems. DELEG encouraged communities to decide how best to address energy efficiency and conservation opportunities, and awarded projects that will help achieve the Recovery Act's objectives to create and retain jobs, save energy, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

• Light Emitting Diode/Solid State Lighting (LED/SSL) competitive grants will fund demonstrations of LED/SSL technology in various high-demand applications such as exterior parking, street and traffic lighting. The awards are designed to demonstrate market demand and attract LED/SSL manufacturing to the state. Grants will fund 90 percent of the costs for equipment.  Recipients have committed to cover 10 percent of the equipment costs, 100 percent of the labor and installation costs, and to help educate the public on the technology through signage, media or a community event after the LED project has been installed.

State EECBG grant awards generally range from $50,000 to $140,000 for single cities, townships, or villages and up to $650,000 for single counties and multi-jurisdictional recipients.  BES requires award winners to collect, track, and report data on energy savings, costs savings, job creation and/or retention, and emissions reductions. 

"At a time when municipalities are hard pressed to fund capital improvements, these grants will jump start their efforts and allow them to realize operational savings that can be used to fund other energy efficiency and conservation projects," said DELEG Director Stanley "Skip" Pruss. "This funding will support a pipeline of projects, offer the option of bulk purchasing, and encourage increased manufacturing, including diversified suppliers, as well as new manufacturers."

Find the full list of selected projects and funding amounts at the BES website:  www.michigan.gov/energyoffice.

For more information about DELEG, please visit www.michigan.gov/deleg.

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