R.I. gets rest of its energy stimulus funds
WASHINGTON – Rhode Island has received $11 million in federal stimulus money for energy projects, the U.S. Energy Department announced Wednesday. The $11 million constitutes the second half of $23 million previously scheduled for delivery to the Ocean State.
The Amercian Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 signed in February included $3.1 billion in funding for the State Energy Program to help promote energy efficiency and clean energy deployment.
Rhode Island will use the State Energy Program money to increase energy efficiency in the public, commercial, industrial and residential sectors. State officials say they plan to implement commercial and industrial energy efficiency initiatives that will help employers lower energy bills and improve profitability.
On the residential side, Rhode Island will increase professional support for comprehensive household energy audits and energy efficiency improvements. The state will also use the money to upgrade the state’s building energy codes to help realize energy savings in new buildings.
“States are the engines of our economy and the laboratories of innovation,” Energy Secretary Steven Chu said in a statement. “This funding will allow states to put in place innovative energy efficiency and renewable energy projects that will create jobs in communities across the country while reducing carbon pollution and helping to shift how America uses energy.”
News of the money arriving in Rhode Island follows some confusion that surrounded the arrival of the first half of the money.
The governor’s office said initially that the state was waiting to begin its programs until Rhode Island received the money. But after the federal government said the state already had the money, the governor’s office retracted its statement.
Most of the money is expected to flow through the R.I. Office of Energy Resources, which has been without a director since Andrew Dzykewicz resigned in July. Officials at the R.I. Department of Administration have been overseeing the energy office since then.
Additional information is available at energy.gov and energy.ri.gov.
What the *&$#*@!. We have been waiting months to find out how to access the state SEP funds for an eligible project only to be told that the RI Office of Energy Resources and the state will be issuing solicitations for these funds once these receive them and that anyone that previously applied for these funds (which we did) would have to reapply if it is determined at that time that these projects are eligible (although they were apparently eligible when first filed). [See http://www.energy.ri.gov/arra/index.php]. Now I find out that the State has had half of these funds already and just received the other half.
What is going on? Is the fix in - is this another bomb shell waiting to explode? No wonder Andy Dzykewicz left - did he see the writing on the wall and did not want any part of it. I want to know what is going on and I want the requisite state authorities to take a close look (Patrick Lynch are you listening) at this to find out what is going on here. Our project and many others have stalled because of this delay. All we have asked for is a fair chance to apply for these funds on a level playing field. I hope that this is still the case. Will someone from the State please respond to tell what the &(# is going on and give us clear direction as to the fair transparent process that will take place for the disbursement of all of these funds.
I still have faith but it is waning.