Howard Marks, U.S. DOE

Editor's Notes

• #3: The Recovery Act, as you may know, was signed into law in February of this year. Given the great economic challenges that we’re facing today, this legislation is designed to jumpstart our economy, create millions of jobs, and make investments that will pay off continually in the future. To be successful, the Act requires the collaboration of citizens across the nation from scientists to small businesses to local government. I’m very pleased that you are all present to take part in this effort.
• #4: Using our homegrown resources and the ingenuity of the American workforce, the Recovery Act will help create entire new energy industries, and make strategic investments that will transform the way we use energy.
• #5: This slide shows the breakdown of funding by activity within EERE. Research, development, and deployment has $2.5 billion, divided up among several different energy efficient and renewable technologies including biomass, geothermal energy; and discretionary funds that have been allocated for solar, wind, and other areas. The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants, State Energy Program, and Weatherization Assistance activities total over $11 billion and are managed through the office I highlighted earlier, the Office of Weatherization and Intergovernmental Programs. There are several vehicle-related funding opportunities totaling $2.7 billion: an alternative fuel vehicle grant program, advanced manufacturing grants, and transportation electrification. Finally, $300 million goes toward energy efficient appliance rebates. I’ll speak in more detail about each of these opportunities in a few minutes.
• #6: EERE manages our investments in applied R&D for Clean Energy Technologies – in Power Generation, Fuels and Vehicles, and Energy Efficiency. Each dash under these categories represents a separate program office, including two offices that deploy these technologies: the Federal Energy Management Program, which works with the other Federal agencies, and the Office of Weatherization and Intergovernmental Programs, which works with State and now local governments. Some of the research-focused programs have deployment efforts as well. The Weatherization and Intergovernmental Programs office is highlighted because of its pivotal role in Recovery Act activities – the bulk of EERE’s Recovery Act funds are being administered through this office.
• #7: As far as direct formula funding, Florida’s allocation is about $470 million. Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants have $168 million, the State Energy Program has $126 million, and $176 million goes toward Weatherization Assistance.
• #8: Now that I’ve given you an overview of the funding and how to apply, I’d like to discuss the individual programs in greater detail, starting with the formula grant programs. The State Energy Program is a program that was in place well before the passage of the Recovery Act. It has officially been around since 1996 and encompasses both energy efficiency and renewable energy technologies. The State Energy Program distributes funding to State governments so they can decide how best to invest in projects that take into account their States’ particular resources and needs while contributing to national energy goals.
• #9: The Weatherization Assistance Program is receiving $5 billion through the Recovery Act, compared to between $200-$250 million in annual appropriations. In addition to this ramp-up in funds, the program is a Presidential priority, so it has really been highlighted as a crucial part of the Recovery Act. This program helps low-income households improve the efficiency of their homes and save money on their energy bills, about $350 per year on average. The funds are allocated by formula to States, which in turn distribute the funding to local entities, usually community action agencies. The Recovery Act made some changes to the program that allow it to reach more low-income citizens and accomplish more in each home, raising the income level requirement from 150% of the poverty level to 200% and the average funding per home from $2,500 to $6,500. The cap on training and technical assistance funding was also raised from 10% to 20%.
• #10: Of the $52 M for Maryland, $9.6M is for the state energy office and $43M is for cities and counties. The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program, or EECBG, is funded for the first time with the passage of the Recovery Act. This program allocates funding directly to states, cities, counties, and tribes to support energy audits, efficiency retrofits, improved building codes, and other activities. Smaller cities and counties that did not receive a direct allocation can work with their state energy offices to access funding. The States are required to distribute 60% of the funding they receive to those cities and counties that were not eligible to receive direct funding. A couple of points to note on the EECBG program: the activities do not have to be specific projects, they can be programs. Activities that pay dividends year after year should be prioritized. Additionally, while the bulk of the EECBG has been allocated through a formula, there is a portion that will be issued through competitive grants. The details are currently being worked out and the funding will be announced as a separate funding opportunity announcement.
• #11: Secretary Chu and the White House are fully supportive of OWIP and have made the state and local energy programs a national priority.
• #12: No money has been awarded yet.  Applications were initially due on June 25.  However, only 1926 out of 2327 were submitted on time, so the deadline has been extended to August 10.  A team of almost 400 trained reviewers are processing the applications and conducting technical reviews.  Initial awards are expected before the end of July and should continue thereafter on a rolling basis. The Block Grant formula allocated funds to the top ten most populous cities and to the top ten most populous counties in Maryland. More cities and counties were not selected to receive funds because they did not meet population thresholds (35,000 for cities and 200,000 for counties).
• #13: No money has been awarded yet.  Applications were initially due on June 25.  However, only 1926 out of 2327 were submitted on time, so the deadline has been extended to August 10.  A team of almost 400 trained reviewers are processing the applications and conducting technical reviews.  Initial awards are expected before the end of July and should continue thereafter on a rolling basis. The Block Grant formula allocated funds to the top ten most populous cities and to the top ten most populous counties in Maryland. More cities and counties were not selected to receive funds because they did not meet population thresholds (35,000 for cities and 200,000 for counties).
• #14: Here is a list of eligible uses of EECBG funds, to give you an idea of the types of activities that are possible. Retrofits, building codes, and combined heat and power projects are some examples, but note that activities are not limited to this list.
• #18: College Park is the only city in Maryland’s 4 th Congressional District that is eligible to receive it’s entire award at one time. All other cities and counties are eligible to receive more than $250,000 in EECBG funds.
• #19: Spur sales of energy efficient appliances Significantly reduce energy and water use by American households States must file initial applications by August
• #20: The Clean Cities Alternative Fueled Vehicles Pilot Grant Program has also closed, unfortunately, but Clean Cities is an ongoing program and there are still opportunities to become involved.
• #21: There is yet another funding opportunity in the vehicles area, and this one is not yet closed. Including Recovery Act funding and DOE annual appropriations, $240 million is available for the development of high efficiency commercial and passenger vehicles. The funding solicitations are divided into 2 areas. The goal of the first area is to increase vehicle freight efficiency by a total of 50% for heavy-duty Class 8 trucks. The projects receiving funding will focus on improving the efficiency of advanced engine technologies and vehicle system technologies, for instance by limiting aerodynamic drag, reducing vehicle weight, and drivetrain hybridization. Under the second program area, projects will work to advance R&D on efficient engine and powertrain systems for passenger vehicles. For gasoline-fueled vehicles, these cost-competitive components will achieve at least a 25% fuel economy improvement compared to 2009 reference vehicles, while diesel-fueled vehicles will be able to attain at least a 40% improvement.
• #22: For Industrial Technologies, $256 million is available under 3 areas. The first is for combined heat and power, district energy systems, waste energy recovery systems, and efficient industrial equipment that can be deployed in industrial and residential settings to improve efficiency, control costs, and limit greenhouse gas emissions. The second is for RD&D for new technologies that improve energy efficiency in the information and communication technology sector. The third is for RD&D on advanced industrial materials that can be used in fuel flexibility programs, combined heat and power technologies, energy intensive processes, and nanomanufacturing.
• #23: For biomass and biofuels, the Recovery Act provides a mix of new funding opportunities to accelerate advanced biofuels R&D and additional funding for existing commercial-scale biorefinery demonstration projects. There is $480 million for projects that produce advanced biofuels, bioproducts, and heat and power in an integrated system, thus enabling private financing of commercial-scale replications. A $20 million competitive solicitation will select projects that optimize flex fuel vehicles operating on high octane E85 fuel, evaluate the impact of higher ethanol blends in conventional vehicles, and upgrade existing refueling infrastructure to be compatible with fuels up to E85.
• #24: Area 1: To support the development and deployment of energy efficient technologies in commercial and residential buildings Area 2: Residential Buildings Development/Deployment - - includes retrofits and training
• #25: $118 million is available for wind energy projects in several areas. Area 1: Support the wind industry through testing the performance and reliability of wind turbine drivetrain systems Area 2: Improve the quality and use of lighter weight, advanced materials for turbine blades, towers, and other components Area 3: Establishment of industry-university consortia to focus on critical wind energy challenges
• #26: $400 million is available for geothermal technologies. $140 million of this will go toward RD&D of enhanced geothermal systems. Conventional geothermal energy systems must be located near easily-accessible geothermal water resources, limiting its nationwide use.  EGS makes use of available heat resources through engineered reservoirs, which can then be tapped to produce electricity. Funding for innovative geothermal exploration projects, as exploration of geothermal energy resources can carry a high upfront risk. To fully leverage new low-temperature, geopressured, co-production, and EGS technologies, DOE will support the development of a nationwide assessment of geothermal resources, working through the U.S. Geological Survey and other partners.
• #27: Over $176 million is available for 3 different areas of solar energy technologies. Area 1: Investment in advanced PV concepts to make solar energy cost-competitive with conventional sources of energy Area 2: Focus on non-technical barriers to help clear the path for wider use in residential, commercial, and municipal environments. Area 3: Improving reliability of CSP technologies and enhancing the capabilities of DOE National Laboratories to provide test and evaluation support to the solar industry
• #29: I’ve now gone through all of the funding that is currently out on the street from the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. There is also funding available from other offices within the Department of Energy, including the Office of Electricity Delivery and Energy Reliability, which is the office in charge of the electricity grid. The Vice President announced several billion dollars in funding for smart grid development, as well as storage, monitoring, and technology viability.
• #30: The grant programs and demonstration projects require a 50% cost share While there are no specific limitations to the type of recipients, based on the criteria for a qualifying investment in smart grid functions, we anticipate many of the successful applicants will be utilities. Some manufacturers could also apply: for example an appliance manufacturer might apply for a grant to redesign and retool his product line to incorporate smart grid capability. For other initiatives, funds could go to state and local governments. Universities, national labs, utilities or technology companies, perhaps in partnership, are likely to pursue some of the opportunities. While the funds will not go directly to the consumer, the consumer will benefit from the improvements to the grid, and from the job growth associated with the initiatives.
• #31: As I mentioned earlier in the presentation, Secretary Chu is committed to making the Department’s implementation of the Recovery Act as open and transparent as possible. We are therefore posting weekly updates on our website and have set up additional web forms and call center capabilities to respond to public inquiries. If you go to our website, you can see how much Recovery Act funding has been authorized, announced, and spent. There are oversight measures in place to distribute and monitor funds, and the entities that are spending it will have to adhere to regular reporting requirements.
• #32: There are a few different funding vehicles that DOE uses to disburse Recovery Act funds. There are grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements with companies, universities, and other entities selected through a competitive process for research and development and industrial energy efficiency projects. Loan guarantees provide the full faith and guarantee of the Federal government to fund projects selected through a solicitation process. Then there are formula grant programs administered by state and local governments—Weatherization Assistance Program, Energy Efficiency Community Block Grants Program, and State Energy Program. A list of ongoing Recovery Act funding opportunities can be found on our website on energy.gov/recovery/funding. You may be more familiar with grants.gov, where most Federal funding opportunities are available. At grants.gov, you can do an agency search for DOE and the opportunities are marked with “Recovery Act” in the title. One thing that we cannot emphasize enough is to register and begin the application process as soon as you can. The registration process can be lengthy, and make sure to read and follow all instructions carefully to avoid snags, errors or incomplete applications.
• #33: The instructions on the last slide apply to Federal funding opportunities. For those that are administered by State or local governments, go directly to that entity to apply.
• #34: Thank you for your time and attention today. I have the URL posted where you can get to virtually all of the information that I’ve gone through today, as well as the Department’s Recovery Act information hotline, which is staffed with highly trained and knowledgeable personnel to answer any questions you might still have.