The United States Department of Energy has designated Wisconsin as a recipient of nearly $12 million in federal energy grants distributed under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
The DOE said in a statement Wisconsin is one of 22 states to receive stimulus funds from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant. Other midwestern states that received funding include Michigan, Illinois and Minnesota.
Wisconsin will receive $11.7 million of the $354 million available to focus on green jobs, decrease pollution and carbon emissions and establish more responsible environmental practices in communities throughout the state.
The statement said within a matter of weeks, money from the block grant will begin to flow to counties and cities not originally designated to receive funds in this winter’s federal stimulus bill. The state will decide which communities are awarded the money through a competitive application process that prefers cooperative regional projects and strives for full transparency.
According to the statement, applicant communities will have the opportunity to use state-sponsored workshops to learn more about the application process, which the state directs without federal intervention. The state will employ teams of energy-efficiency experts to review the applications and will continue to monitor the programs after the distribution of funds.
Many green projects are already underway in Wisconsin, specifically at the Wisconsin State Capitol and the Governor’s Mansion, where Madison Gas and Electric installed solar panel demonstrations for public display and actual use.
In a statement released Monday, Senate President Fred Risser, D-Madison, applauded the implementation of energy efficiency demonstrations in Madison.
“These projects are a great way to help promote and demonstrate the state commitment to renewable resources,” Risser said in a statement. “This project is a win-win for the state and the environment.”
Mike Mikalsen, spokesperson for Rep. Steve Nass, R-Whitewater, said these types of projects, especially green jobs, are worrisome because they usually are “make work” projects rather than actual economic stimulants.
?Are these truly the kinds of projects that are necessary?? Mikalsen said. “The overwhelming benefit is for those who consult state and local governments. We’ve had to cut K-12 funding and ask for job cuts, but here you have the essentially broke federal and state governments giving money to projects which may not even work.”
In addition to the installation of alternative energy resources and the creation of green jobs, the DOE statement also said the EECBG will sponsor outreach efforts to educate the public on energy efficiency and other major environmental issues. For example, energy-efficient lighting will be installed in public facilities throughout the designated communities and conservation programs will begin as the facilities are revamped.
The DOE statement also lists energy-efficient transportation and tax incentives for energy-efficient organizations as additional destinations for the EECBG money. While it will not make the decision of which communities are awarded the money, the release said the DOE will still monitor progress throughout the country in relation to its specific goals.
