https://www.americancityandcounty.com/wp-content/themes/acc_child/assets/images/logo/footer-logo.png
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcast
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources & Events
    • Back
    • Resources
    • Webinars
    • White Papers
    • IWCE 2022
    • How to Contribute
    • Municipal Cost Index – Archive
    • Equipment Watch Page
    • American City & County Awards
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Statement
    • Terms of Service
American City and County
  • NEWSLETTER
  • Home
  • Co-op Solutions
  • Hybrid Work
  • Commentaries
  • News
  • In-Depth
  • Multimedia
    • Back
    • Podcasts
    • Latest videos
    • Product Guides
  • Resources/Events
    • Back
    • Webinars
    • White Papers/eBooks
    • IWCE Expo
    • Calendar of Events
    • How to Contribute
    • American City & County Awards
    • Municipal Cost Index
    • Equipment Watch Page
  • About Us
    • Back
    • About Us
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise
    • Cookie Policy
    • Privacy Stament
    • Terms of Service
  • newsletter
  • Administration
  • Economy & Finance
  • Procurement
  • Public Safety
  • Public Works & Utilities
  • Smart Cities & Technology
  • Magazine
acc.com

Public Works & Utilities


ARRA funds help communities reduce energy consumption

ARRA funds help communities reduce energy consumption

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act stimulus funds have been used to upgrade facilities and public spaces, reduce energy consumption and create opportunities for "green" jobs and businesses.
  • Written by American City & County Administrator
  • 22nd June 2010

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) dramatically reenergized local governments’ ability to help address their energy and infrastructure issues, primarily through billions of dollars in the Energy Efficiency and Conservation and Smart Grid Investment Grant (SGIG) programs. Those stimulus funds have been used to upgrade facilities and public spaces, reduce energy consumption and create opportunities for “green” jobs and businesses. The resulting improvements can deliver long-lasting environmental benefits that can help cities and counties meet their energy and emissions reduction goals.

With about 45 percent of the funds already disbursed by May 2010, much of the work is beginning to take shape. And, cities and counties continue to explore ways to use the funding to improve their communities, including energy retrofits offset by guaranteed energy savings and smart grid initiatives, such as automated meter networks and demand response programs.

Maximizing grants

Buildings account for nearly 40 percent of energy use and 70 percent of electrical use in the United States. So, many cities have identified energy efficiency and infrastructure improvements as primary uses for their energy block grant funds. A recent study from the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) indicates 83 percent of cities have earmarked their EECBG funds to retrofit government facilities, with other uses including solar installations, LED traffic and street lighting, and energy awareness campaigns.

To accomplish energy retrofit projects, more than half of the USCM survey respondents plan to use their EECBG funds as part of an energy savings performance contract, a financing tool that allows organizations to pay for facility improvements and upgrades through the guaranteed energy savings they generate. By incorporating energy block grants with guaranteed energy savings, cities and counties can stretch their funding without affecting operating budgets or requiring additional taxpayer dollars. Using energy savings also counters concerns about excess spending because projects that pay for themselves in a definitive time period will not burden governments with excessive debt obligations after stimulus funds are gone.

Read the entire magazine feature from American City and County, our sister publication.

Related Stories

  • Some ways government building managers can save energy
  • Texas-sized energy savings in Abilene
  • Pennsylvania state buildings generate 30 percent energy savings through efficiency upgrades, solar panel array
  • Energy programs tap federal stimulus dollars

Tags: Administration News Public Works & Utilities Smart Cities & Technology

Most Recent


  • 2022 Crown Communities Award winner: Miami-Dade County Clerk of Courts' jury selection system
    The Miami-Dade County Clerk of Courts is revolutionizing the jury selection process.  In many jurisdictions, jury duty is perceived as an obligatory nuisance. On their appointed day, potential jurors arrive early and stay late. They read books or watch television to pass the time as judges and attorneys make in-person selections from the pool of […]
  • digital
    How to leverage digital tools to drive innovation in government
    The rapid evolution of digital technologies transformed the way governments function, making them more efficient, transparent and citizen-friendly. Rather than relying on crystal trophies, governments can leverage digital tools to drive innovation and streamline processes, benefiting the population they serve. Open data and crowdsourcing Open data refers to making government data available to the public, […]
  • public trust
    With many cities facing a fiscal cliff as ARPA funding ends, debt ceiling debate continues on Capitol Hill
    As debate over the debt ceiling continues, cities and counties across the nation are facing an uncertain future as American Rescue Plan Act funding dries up. The federal government reached its spending cap of $31.4 trillion, previously set in 2021, in January. Since then, with lawmakers on Capitol Hill locked in impasse, the U.S. Department […]
  • last-mile
    How green last-mile infrastructure benefits your community
    Overseeing transportation is one of the most important jobs of municipal leaders as it underpins a wide range of aspects within a municipality, including its economy, community connectedness and the health of the local environment. One of the most deceptively challenging elements of effectively overseeing transportation is the development of last-mile transit infrastructure. That is, […]

Leave a comment Cancel reply

-or-

Log in with your American City and County account

Alternatively, post a comment by completing the form below:

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Related Content

  • 10 reasons why local governments should outsource all IT: Post pandemic view
  • How local governments can improve bridge projects through strategic engagement
  • NLC releases State of Cities 2021 report
  • How local governments can get ahead of the infrastructure wave: Strategies to mitigate risk

White papers


7 Permitting & Licensing Fails Slowing Community Growth

24th May 2023

The Secret Ingredient to Local Government Employee Retention

23rd May 2023

Supercharge your ERP: How ERPs and Purpose-Built Solutions Work Together to Future-Proof Your Digital Strategy

15th May 2023
view all

Webinars


How to Centralize and Build a Grants Management Process at your Organization

24th May 2023

Making Permitting Easier: What We’ve Learned Helping America’s Largest Cities Improve Their Permitting Process

16th May 2023

Digital Property Tax Collection: Tales from the Trenches of Modernization

16th May 2023
view all

PODCAST


Young Leaders Episode 4 – Cyril Jefferson – City Councilman, High Point, North Carolina

13th October 2020

Young Leaders Episode 3 – Shannon Hardin – City Council President, Columbus, Ohio

27th July 2020

Young Leaders Episode 2 – Christian Williams – Development Services Planner, Goodyear, Ariz.

1st July 2020
view all

GALLERIES


Gallery: Top 10 American cities for seasonal and summer jobs

25th May 2023

Gallery: 10 of America’s most affordable cities

9th May 2023

Gallery: Top 10 American cities most friendly to EVs

7th April 2023
view all

Twitter


AmerCityCounty

2022 Crown Communities Award winner: Miami-Dade County Clerk of Courts’ jury selection system dlvr.it/SphCBk

26th May 2023
AmerCityCounty

Gallery: Top 10 American cities for seasonal and summer jobs dlvr.it/SpdFWy

25th May 2023
AmerCityCounty

How to leverage digital tools to drive innovation in government dlvr.it/Spcktb

25th May 2023
AmerCityCounty

With many cities facing a fiscal cliff as ARPA funding ends, debt ceiling debate continues on Capitol Hill dlvr.it/SpZLph

24th May 2023
AmerCityCounty

7 Permitting & Licensing Fails Slowing Community Growth dlvr.it/SpYqBS

24th May 2023
AmerCityCounty

How to Centralize and Build a Grants Management Process at your Organization dlvr.it/SpYp5c

24th May 2023
AmerCityCounty

How green last-mile infrastructure benefits your community dlvr.it/SpXv8r

24th May 2023
AmerCityCounty

Oversight committee addresses NTIA reauthorization, FCC broadband map ahead of BEAD Program funding allocations dlvr.it/SpW6TQ

23rd May 2023

Newsletters

Sign up for American City & County’s newsletters to receive regular news and information updates about local governments.

Resale Insights Dashboard

The Resale Insights Dashboard provides model-level data for the entire used equipment market to help you save time and money.

Municipal Cost Index

Updated monthly since 1978, our exclusive Municipal Cost Index shows the effects of inflation on the cost of providing municipal services

Media Kit and Advertising

Want to reach our digital audience? Learn more here.

DISCOVER MORE FROM INFORMA TECH

  • IWCE’s Urgent Communications
  • IWCE Expo

WORKING WITH US

  • About Us
  • Contact Us

FOLLOW American City and County ON SOCIAL

  • Privacy
  • CCPA: “Do Not Sell My Data”
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms
Copyright © 2023 Informa PLC. Informa PLC is registered in England and Wales with company number 8860726 whose registered and Head office is 5 Howick Place, London, SW1P 1WG.