Senator Charles E. Schumer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 26, 2009

SCHUMER ANNOUNCES OVER $17 MILLION IN ECONOMIC RECOVERY ACT FUNDING COMING TO THE HUDSON VALLEY TO SUPPORT ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND CONSERVATION PROJECTS AND JOBS

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program, Funded By Economic Recovery Act, Will Fund Projects That Help Environment and Reduce Total Energy Use

The Hudson Valley Is Receiving $17,078,000 with New York State in Line to Receive $175 Million Total

Schumer: Investing In Energy Efficiency Will Save Consumers Money, Reduce Pollution, and Cut Dependence on Foreign Fossil Fuel

Today, United States Senator Charles E. Schumer announced that the Hudson Valley is receiving $17,078,000 through The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program, funded by President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The funding will provide formula grants for projects that reduce total energy use and fossil fuel emissions, and improve energy efficiency across the Hudson Valley and the entire country. New York State has been allocated a total of $175,122,300.

“Investing in energy efficiency projects and fossil fuel emission reductions is smart and responsible. It willcreate jobs even while it saves consumers money, reduces pollution, and cuts dependence on foreign fossil fuel,” Schumer said. “While Americans are struggling to make ends meet and energy prices and pollution continue to soar, funding clean energy projects makes sense for the Hudson Valley and the entire nation.”

The Hudson Valley has received a total of $17,078,000 through The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program. The numbers for the Hudson Valley break down as follows:

Greenburgh received $186,000
Mount Vernon received $625,700
New Rochelle received $684,600
Poughkeepsie received $184,500
White Plains received $650,800
Yonkers received $1,823,200
Yorktown received $158,100
Dutchess received $2,328,800
Orange received $3,516,700
Rockland received $749,300
Ulster received $754,400
Westchester received $4,508,600
Clarkstown received $751,300
Orangetown received $156,000

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program, funded by President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will provide formula grants for projects that reduce total energy use and fossil fuel emissions, and improve energy efficiency nationwide.

The funding will support energy audits and energy efficiency retrofits in residential and commercial buildings, the development and implementation of advanced building codes and inspections, and the creation of financial incentive programs for energy efficiency improvements.
Other activities eligible for use of grant funds include transportation programs that conserve energy, projects to reduce and capture methane and other greenhouse gas emissions from landfills, renewable energy installations on government buildings, energy efficient traffic signals and street lights, deployment of Combined Heat and Power and district heating and cooling systems, and others.
Local leaders will have the flexibility in how they put these resources to work – but will be held accountable for making the investments quickly and wisely to spur the local economy and cut energy use.
To ensure accountability, the Department of Energy will provide guidance to and require grant recipients to report on the number of jobs created or retained, energy saved, renewable energy capacity installed, greenhouse gas emissions reduced, and funds leveraged. Funding is based on a formula that accounts for population and energy use.

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