US DOE Awards $20M each for Portland/OR and Seattle Energy Efficiency

Last week, the US Department of Energy (on Earth Day) announced the award of 25 grants through a competitive solicitation of ARRA stimulus funding and both Seattle and Portland were given $20M. In Oregon, the City of Portland with the State of Oregon won a grant to support the further development of Clean Energy Works Oregon which provides opportunity for building owners and homeowners to pay back loans for energy efficiency improvements through their property tax payment or on their utility bill. This approach has been piloted over the last year by the City of Portland. In Seattle, the city was also awarded $20M. Mayor Mike McGinn announced the award with the following statement, “I am very pleased to share the news that the US Department of Energy has selected Seattle to receive $20 million through the Retrofit Ramp Up program, part of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant. I want to personally thank you for your support for our application and the proposed Neighborhood WEB (Weatherize Every Building) Initiative. Without it, Seattle would not have been successful in receiving the grant. Today, I will accept this award during a meeting at the White House with Vice President Joe Biden. Seattle was one of only a few communities invited back to Washington DC to receive the grant personally, and our invitation speaks to the strength of our proposal and our nearly 80 partners. This application process was extremely competitive; only 25 communities nationwide received funding.“