Colorado Economic Recovery and Accountability

Press Release - ARRA Energy Partnerships for CO Communities

OFFICE OF GOV. BILL RITTER, JR.
WWW.COLORADO.GOV/GOVERNOR

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MONDAY, JAN.11, 2010
 
CONTACT
Todd Hartman, 303.866.2262,

todd.hartman@state.co.us
 
GOV. RITTER ANNOUNCES RECOVERY ACT ENERGY PARTNERSHIPS FOR COLORADO COMMUNITIES
 
Gov. Bill Ritter today announced that 18 community partners across Colorado have received grants totaling $2.2 million to develop local strategies for saving energy and creating jobs in the state’s rural, agricultural and mountainous regions.
 
“We’re excited to see champions for the New Energy Economy on the ground in these local communities, working closely with citizens, businesses and governments to help them save money, create jobs and increase our energy security,” Gov. Ritter said. “These grants will give regions across the state opportunities to focus on how they can benefit from energy efficiency and conservation.”
 
The grants, awarded by the Governor’s Energy Office, are funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and will fund local community energy coordinators (CECs) to drive efforts helping towns, counties, residents and businesses become more energy efficient. The CEC positions will be administered by local organizations, including non-profits, utilities, councils of governments, counties and higher education institutions.
 
The CECs will work across government boundaries, helping obtain energy-related grants, developing local strategies and identifying the best energy efficiency opportunities for specific jurisdictions. Most will be responsible for work in multiple cities and counties. A coordinator will work in both Grand and Jackson counties, for example. Another will build efforts across Elbert, Lincoln, Kit Carson and Cheyenne counties. The grants range from $50,000 to $265,000 depending on the size of the population served. They are intended to pay staffing costs for 24 to 30 months.
 
“Grand County Business Economic Development Association (BEDA) looks forward to working with the Governor’s Energy Office to implement efforts to save energy, reduce energy bills and create jobs,” said Rebecca McBride, director of BEDA. “The organization is excited to work with Grand and Jackson counties to bring the economic benefits of sustainable energy strategies to local businesses and our communities.”
 
Pueblo County commissioners said in a statement that the grant dollars “will enable Pueblo County to build on our many past sustainability efforts and develop a new comprehensive energy plan for Pueblo County. We anticipate that this project will help us attract new jobs and energy-related industries to our community and southern Colorado.”
 
The grant dollars come from $9.5 million allocated to the Governor’s Energy Office (GEO) under the Recovery Act-funded Energy Efficiency Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program. The GEO will be providing further EECBG dollars for additional community-based energy efficiency efforts in the first half of 2010.
 
The U.S. Department of Energy has also directly allocated $42.6 million in EECBG funds to Colorado’s 20 largest cities and 10 largest counties. Those communities, including high population centers on the Front Range and Western Slope, received totals ranging from $6 million (Denver) to $172,000 (Parker), based on population formulas. The last of those dollars were provided to Colorado communities in late 2009.
 
The EECBG recipients and contacts under the GEO’s community energy coordinator grant program:
 

  • Logan, Morgan, Washington, Phillips, Sedgwick, Yuma; Coordinator: Colorado State University Extension Service. Amount: $220,000. Contact: Joanne Littlefield, CSU Extension, 970-491-4640; Jim Beers, CSU public and community relations, 970-491-6401.

 

  • Elbert, Lincoln, Kit Carson, Cheyenne; Coordinator: East Central Colorado RC&D. Amount: $120,000. Contact: Doris King, Secretary/Treasurer, town of Flagler, 719-765-4571.

 

  • Baca, Bent, Kiowa, Prowers, Otero, Crowley; Coordinator: Southeast Colorado RC&D; Amount: $155,000; Contact: Misty George, misty.george@co.nacdnet.net, 719-529-0577.

 

  • Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, Rio Grande, Saguache; Coordinator: CSU Extension Service; Amount: $150,000; Contact: Joanne Littlefield, CSU Extension, 970-491-4640; Jim Beers, CSU public and community relations, 970-491-6401.

 

  • Archuleta, Dolores, LaPlata, Montezuma, San Juan; Coordinator: Four Corners Office of Resource Efficiency (4CORE); Amount: $265,000; Contact: Aileen Tracy, aileen@fourcore.orgaileen@fourcore.org, 970-259-1916, ext. 6.

 

  • Custer, Fremont; Coordinator: CSU Extension Service; Amount: $155,000; Contact: Joanne Littlefield, CSU Extension, 970-491-4640; Jim Beers, CSU public and community relations, 970-491-6401.

 

  • Huerfano, Las Animas; Coordinator: Southern Colorado Council of Governments; Amount: $85,000; Contact: Priscilla “Pete” Fraser, SCCOG, pfraser@sccog.org, 719-845-1133 ext. 216.

 

  • Delta, Montrose; Coordinator: Delta Montrose Electric Association; Amount: $200,000; Contact: Tom Polikalas, DMEA, public.relations@dmea.com, 970-240-1245.

 

  • Moffat, Rio Blanco, Routt; Coordinator: Yampa Valley Partners; Amount: $120,000; Contact: Katherine Nowak, YVP, kate@yampavalleypartners.com, 970-824-1133.

 

  • Gunnison, Hinsdale; Coordinator: Office for Resource Efficiency (ORE); Amount: $65,000; Contact: Maya Silver, ORE, maya@resourceefficiency.org, 970-349-9673.

 

  • Ouray, San Miguel; Coordinator: The New Communities Coalition; Amount: $65,000; Contact: Kris Holstrom, coordinator.tncc@gmail.com, 970-728-1340,

 

 

  • Clear Creek, Gilpin; Coordinator: CSU Extension Service; Amount: $60,000; Contact: Joanne Littlefield, CSU Extension, 970-491-4640; Jim Beers, CSU public and community relations, 970-491-6401.

 

  • Lake, Park, Summit; Coordinator: High Country Conservation Center; Amount: $150,000; Contact: Carly Wier, executive director, carly@highcountryconservation.org, 970-668-5703.

 

  • Pueblo; Coordinator: Pueblo County; Amount: $150,000; Contact: Fran McClave, Pueblo County Community Development Specialist, mcclave@co.pueblo.co.us, 719-583-4594.

 

 

 

 

  • Teller; Coordinator: Teller County; Amount: $50,000; Contact: Mona Newton, mona.newton@state.co.us, 303-809-0379.