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Local Government Services
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ARRA (American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act)
The purpose
of the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) is to
create and save jobs, jumpstart our economy, and build the
foundation for long-term economic growth. The Act includes
measures to modernize the nation's infrastructure, enhance
America's energy independence, expand educational
opportunities, increase access to health care, provide tax
relief, and protect those in greatest need.
(Source:
http://www.recovery.gov/)
Land-of-Sky Regional Council is committed to assisting
its local governments pursue funding through the ARRA
(“stimulus”) opportunities. Land-of-Sky Regional Council is
disseminating information and providing technical assistance
to determine the appropriate match for ARRA funding and,
when appropriate, helping local governments submit grants
for local projects. LOSRC has assisted several
communities directly with expertise, grant-writing,
research, and other guidance about ARRA and related funding
agencies. LOSRC has also submitted several grant
applications for funding for regional projects. Julie
Lawhorn, LOSRC Regional Planner, continues to help staff and
the local
governments in
Buncombe, Henderson, Madison and
Transylvania counties
access and apply for ARRA opportunities.
Contact Julie at
julie@landofsky.org or (828) 251-6622 ext. 162.
NEWS
-
UPCOMING ARRA DEADLINES*
*Not a comprehensive list- visit
http://www.grants.gov;
www.recovery.gov;
https://www.ips.state.nc.us/IPS/OpenBidSearch.aspx; and
/or www.ncrecovery.gov
for more information about all ARRA opportunities.
NEWS - RECENT ARRA NEWS AND
EVENTS
-
4/30/10 -
Progress Energy Awarded $200 Million ARRA Grant for
Smart Grid Project
-
4/30/10 -
The following documents were circulated by the
North Carolina Office of Economic Recovery and
Investment (NCOERI) in early April, and may be of
interest to local governments and other agencies
involved in managing or programming ARRA money-
particularly those involved in projects with ARRA money
passed through a state agency.
-Management
Directive #8 from NC Recovery Office
-Compliance
w/ARRA, Competitive Purchasing memo from NC Recovery
Office to NC City and County Managers
-Final
audit report format
-
4/30/10 -
The
North Carolina Office of Economic Recovery and
Investment (NCOERI) announced a
series of technical assistance briefings to
provide guidance to enhance compliance with ARRA-related
procedures. This is an opportunity for any ARRA grant
recipient to engage in a conversation with the NC
Recovery office and ask ARRA-related questions.
Briefings in western NC include:
-May 4th at 2 pm at Haywood Community College,
Waynesville, NC
-May 5th at 2 pm at Auditorium at Western Piedmont
Community College, Morganton, NC
-
4/23/10 -
During this week's Sustainable Energy Office in Raleigh,
representatives from the State Energy Office announced
that the third round of EECBG grant recipients will be
announced in coming weeks and the fourth round of EECBG
grant recipients will be announced soon after that. In
addition, the SEO reports that at least four new RFPs
will be announced soon for building code and evaluation
training, transportation (local govt.), transportation
(private sector), and residential and small non-profit
retrofit projects.
-
4/23/10 -
Energy Star Appliance Replacement and Rebate Program
continues through 4/25/10. The rebates are being funded
by ARRA and offered by the State Energy Office through
the U.S. Department of Energy. The program allows
consumers to replace older refrigerators, freezers,
washing machines and dishwashers with similar new Energy
Star-rated items.
-
4/16/10-
ERC Broadband (ERC) and BalsamWest FiberNet, LLC (BalsamWest)
announced their participation in the Golden LEAF Rural
Broadband Initiative. The purpose of the $111M
initiative is to bring broadband infrastructure to
underserved areas of northeastern, north central, far
western, northwestern, north central and south central
North Carolina. Full press release
here.
-
4/16/10 -
Recent, open ARRA grants include:
- State RFP:
Health Information Exchange Strategic and Operational
Plan(for consulting agencies) Deadline: 4/20/10 at 2
pm.
- State RFP: Deadline:
Cryogen Free Magnet for Emission Mossbauser Spectroscopy(for
UNC-A Chemistry Dept.) Deadline: 4/28/10 at 2 pm.
-
4/10/10 -
The
State Energy Office published a
list of applicants that responded to the recent
Student Energy Intern RFP (deadline 3/17/10.
-
4/10/10 -
Recovery funds to help reimburse businesses, train
vision impaired people
-
3/26/10 -
NC to Receive More than $383 Million in
Additional Recovery Funds
-
3/26/10 -
ARRA-Funded Water System Projects to Improve Health
and Sanitation in Communities in NC and 19 Other States
-
3/19/10 -
Trade Adjustment Assistance Technical Assistance and
Outreach Partnership Grants -The Department of
Labor announced the availability of approximately $1.2
million in grant funds authorized by ARRA to provide
technical assistance and outreach to dislocated workers
impacted by foreign trade. The eligible applicants are
National Employer Associations, National Labor Union
Organizations, other Labor Union Affiliates, Non-profit
Organizations and National Associations with connections
to the TAA program or TAA-certified workers. Deadline:
4/14/10 at 4 pm.
-
3/5/10 -
The
North Carolina State Energy Office has designated 35
firms to provide technical assistance to N.C.
Department of Community Assistance designated Main
Street Communities. These entities can apply to the
North Carolina State Energy Office (SEO) to have one of
the designated firms provide assistance with creating a
strategic energy plan, responding to the project request
for proposals (RFP), and performing preliminary and
detailed energy surveys. The fee for this technical
service will be paid by the SEO through American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funding.
-
3/5/10 -
The USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station, based
in Asheville, is providing nearly $2 million ARRA funds
for the economic stimulus effort being administered by
Land-of-Sky Regional Council (LOSRC). LOSRC seeks to
help underemployed or unemployed forest workers with
creative proposal ideas about improving their
businesses. More information about the economic
stimulus effort and how to submit a proposal is
available
online.
-
2/26/10 -
The
North Carolina State Energy Office (SEO) issued a
RFP for the installation of landfill gas and municipal
waste water treatment facilities that capture and
convert
greenhouse gases (Methane) into energy.
Applications are due by 4/5/10 at 2 pm. .
-
2/26/10 -
The Land-of-Sky Regional Council is pleased to announce
that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will
award a
Climate Showcase Grant to fund the Reading,
Riding and Retrofit (RRR) project. The grant award
was $500,000 and will fund part of a larger project
designed by the
Asheville Hub
with community partners. The RRR project will support
environmental sustainability in public schools
throughout Buncombe County. The project will create
energy efficient school building retrofits,
transportation system enhancements, recycling
improvements and volunteer "Green Teams" to support the
schools. The Climate Showcase Grant will directly
support the annual reduction of Green House Gas
emissions by an estimated 1,129 tons. Land-of-Sky
Regional Council will partner with Buncombe County and
City of Asheville school officials and other partners to
lay the ground work for long term potential reduction of
Green House Gas emissions by more than 11,000 tons
annually.
-
2/26/10 -
The Land-of-Sky Regional Council is pleased to announce
that the City
of Asheville received the
Local Energy Assurance Planning (LEAP) grant from
the US Department of Energy. This is the first time that
the Department of Energy will provide grants to local
communities for energy assurance planning. The City of
Asheville, in partnership with 22 local governments,
designed the Regional Fuel Project to plan for economic
and emergency service disruptions caused by the fuel
shortages in Western North Carolina. This funding will
further allow our region to address dramatic, recurring
and anticipated future fuel shortages and the need for
revised and new energy assurance plans.
-
2/26/10 -
Did you know that the
NC Office of Economic Recovery and Investment
compiles a list of Federal and State ARRA contracts that
are open in NC? Visit the
Competitive Grants and Contracts web page for
details.
-
2/26/10 -
Governor Bev Perdue announced that 43 contracts
totaling $138.3 million have been awarded for
highway and bridge projects across North Carolina,
including 12 projects funded through the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The N.C. Department of
Transportation awarded the contracts to the many local
governments in western NC including Buncombe, Henderson,
Madison, and Transylvania Counties.
-
2/26/10 -
Governor Perdue announced that North Carolina will
receive $152 million in
federal Medicaid relief. The funding is part of a
nationwide action to provide some budget relief to
states, and is made possible by the American Recovery
and Reinvestment Act (ARRA).
-
2/18/10 -
The North Carolina State Energy Office (SEO) is
soliciting proposals for
Energy Efficiency Improvements in New Single Family (sitebuilt
or manufactured) Homes and Multi-Family Housing. The
SEO intends to hire one (1) to three (3) contractors who
will be responsible for working with the state to
develop, implement, and monitor a state-wide residential
energy efficiency program that demonstrates measurable
incremental energy savings in new homes. Deadline for
questions is 2/26/10 and deadline for the RFP is 3/10/10
at 2 pm. Click
here for details.
-
2/18/10 -
The North Carolina State Energy Office (SEO)
requests proposals from accredited public and private
educational institutions, local and state government
agencies and nonprofit organizations for the creation of
green energy-related internships and/or fellowship
programs in the energy sector that would serve the needs
of talented undergraduate and graduate students in North
Carolina. Applications for the
"Student Energy Internship and Fellowship Program"
RFP are due 3/17/10 by 2 pm. All questions about the RFP
must be submitted in writing by 3/1/10 by 1 pm.
-
2/16/10 -
Governor Bev Perdue announced this
week that the federal high-speed rail grant to North
Carolina will create or maintain as many as 4,800
private sector jobs in North Carolina over the next four
years, with 1,000 of those expected this year alone as
ready-to-go projects get under way. Click
here for details.
-
2/16/10 -
Updates from the SEO indicate that no
awards have been made for the Renewable Energy Project
grant that was issued in the fall. Applications are
still under review and no decisions have been made.
-
2/09/10 -
The
North Carolina State Energy Office announced the 7th
Annual Sustainable Energy Conference. The conference, "Sustainability:
Moving Beyond the Federal Stimulus," will be held
April 20-21 in Raleigh.
-
2/09/10 -
Do you need help in planning,
implementing, and monitoring your energy efficiency
initiatives funded by the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act of 2009? If so, further assistance is
available through another free
ICMA-hosted Web training session on March 4, 2010,
at 2:00 p.m. ET in partnership with the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
-
2/5/10 -The Land-of-Sky Regional Council offers it
congratulations to several communities
recently awarded ARRA energy grants. Henderson
County was awarded $183,101 from the State Energy
Office for the ARRA Funded EECBG (Round 2). Awards from
the
EECBG (Round 2) include
six other recipients from across North Carolina.
Land-of-Sky staff and it's Waste Reduction Partners'
engineers are proud to have played a role in providing
technical assistance and guidance to many local
governments and school systems during this grant
process. WRP staff and volunteers continue to work with
local governments, community colleges and K-12 school
systems to provide energy audits, building assessments,
energy plan development, and grant-writing assistance
for energy-related projects.
-
2/5/10 - More than $4 million in economic recovery
funding was awarded to five communities for
wastewater and drinking water infrastructure projects
as a part of ARRA awards. This funding allocation was
originally earmarked for other projects but became
available when final project costs were less than
original estimates. Click
here for a list of award recipients and project
descriptions.
-
2/5/10 - The
NC Office of Economic Recovery and Investment has
released its updated
Jobs Impact Report (ARRA) online.
-
2/1/10 - Organizations wishing to apply for
federal stimulus money for broadband projects will have
several opportunities in the coming weeks to learn more
about the grant process.
Several workshops will be offered in early
February in Fayetteville, Blacksburg, VA, and Atlanta,
GA. Opportunities include:
Broadband Incentive Program (BIP) Round II and
Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) Round
II.
-
2/1/10 - Gov. Bev Perdue announced that North
Carolina is receiving $545 million from the American
Recovery and Reinvestment Act for further development of
the
Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor, a nearly
500-mile route that will allow trains to travel between
Charlotte and Washington, D.C. at top speeds of up to
90-110 miles per hour and an average speed of 86 mph.
-
2/1/10 - Recent green jobs grant awards include:
1. “North Carolina's Department of Commerce
will receive a $5.9 million federal grant to train
workers in rural counties for green jobs. The grant,
which is part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act (federal stimulus), was awarded by the US Dept. of
Labor. The federal agency announced a total of 34 awards
- ranging from approximately $2 million to $6 million -
to encourage State Workforce Investment Boards to
develop workforce sector strategies that target energy
efficiency and renewable energy industries as well as
other green industries.” (Source: NCSEA eNews
Newsletter, 1/27/10)
2. On 1/13/10 the US Department of Labor announced $150
million in ‘Pathways
Out of Poverty’ training grants for green jobs
including an award to partners in the Asheville area.
Congratulations to the local partners on this grant
including: Ashville Buncombe Community Christian
Ministry, Community Action Opportunities of Madison and
Buncombe Counties, IBEW Locals 238 and 728, Asheville
Minority Economic Development, Mountain Area BizWorks,
Blue Ridge Biofuels, Mountain Area Job Link,
Asheville-Buncombe Technical College, Buncombe County
Department of Social Services. See p. 26 of
grantee summaries for overview of the project or the
recent
local newspaper article (1/14/10). The grant was
awarded to the national organization, Opportunities
Industrialization Centers of America, Inc.
-
1/22/10 - The Land-of-Sky Regional Council offers it
congratulations to several WNC communities recently
awarded ARRA energy grants. Land-of-Sky staff and it's
Waste Reduction Partners' engineers are proud to have
played a role in providing technical assistance and
guidance to several of the grant recipients. Awards
included:
1. Hendersonville,
Main Street Energy Grant (State Energy Office),
$52,200
2. Morganton,
Main Street Energy Grant (State Energy Office),
$101,995
3. Spruce Pine,
Main Street Energy Grant (State Energy Office),
$66,938
4. Morganton,
EECBG (State Energy Office), $118,622
5. Valdese,
EECBG (State Energy Office), $200,000
6. Buncombe County Schools,
EECBG (State Energy Office), $200,000
WRP staff and volunteers continue to work with local
governments, community colleges and K-12 school systems
to provide energy audits, building assessments, energy
plan development, and grant-writing assistance for
energy-related projects as a SEO-approved
technical assistance provider.
-
1/22/10 - Gov. Perdue announced that MCNC has
received $28.2 million in broadband funding through ARRA
to build a 480-mile fiber-optic network for the North
Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN). The new
fiber build will traverse 37 counties in North Carolina.
Counties in western N.C. include: Alexander, Buncombe,
Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cleveland, Davidson, Davie,
Gaston, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lincoln,
McDowell, Mecklenburg, Polk, Rutherford, and
Transylvania.
-
1/20/10 - The State Energy Office announced a RFP
for the
Efficient Appliance Rebate Program. Deadline:
2/5/10. UPDATE: Answers to questions about this RFP were
posted on 1/29/10.
-
12/23/09
-The
State Energy Office has released the following three (3) announcements
about future ARRA funding opportunities:
-
43A-2010EENHMF1
--
Notification of Intention to Post RFP for
Energy Efficiency for New Site-Built Homes, Manufactured Homes and
Multi-family Apartments
-
43A-2010EESF1
-- Notification of Intention to Post RFP for
Energy Efficiency for Existing Single Family and Multi-Family Housing
-
43A-2010INTERN1
--
Notification of Intention to Post RFP for
Student Energy Internship and Fellowship Programs
-
12/22/09-
Land-of-Sky has announced a job announcement for
a Forest Stimulus Project
manager. For more information select “Working Lands
Planning Job” on the
LOSRC home page.
-
12/22/09-
The 2010 North
Carolina Green Business Fund Solicitation (call for
proposals) is now open. Eligibility for the grant is
limited to small for-profit businesses, non-profit
organizations, State agencies, and local governments
to encourage the expansion
of small to medium sized businesses with 100 or fewer
employees that have innovative commercial technologies,
products and services to grow a green economy in the State.
Deadline for the receipt of pre-proposals
(750 words maximum) is
January 19th, 2010.
Invitations for full proposals will be issued by the end of
January 2010. Email:
pshannon@nccommerce.com
- 12/11/09
- SEO Technical Assistance - The State Energy Office has
designated 37 firms to provide technical assistance to
government agencies. Please fill out an application in order
to access the technical assistance. A list of the firms
designated to provide technical assistance, and the areas
they have been approved to provide service, is attached to
the
application (now available online).
Waste Reduction Partners is one of the designated firms,
however, their name was previously listed as “Land-of-Sky
Regional Council” on the list of firms.
-
12/11/09 -Webinar-The U.S. Department of Energy
(DOE) Technical Assistance Project (TAP) for state and
local officials is offering a webinar on how state and
local governments can use funding from the 2009 Recovery
Act to establish performance contracts for energy
efficiency on Wednesday, December 16, from 3:00 to 4:15
p.m. EST. The webinar is titled "Introduction to
Performance Contracting."
Register to attend the December 16 Webinar. The Web
seminar is free of charge, but you must register in
advance to obtain a URL for the presentation and call-in
phone number. You can register online, find information
about the presenters, and read background materials and
reports on the
TAP Webinar section of the DOE Weatherization and
Intergovernmental Program Web site.
-
12/09/09 - Webinar - An “ARRA Reporting for
Projects Administered By Local Agencies - Update
Webinar” will be offered on December 15th from 2-3:30 pm
and December 16th from 10- 11:30 am. This Webinar
provides an update for Monthly Project Status and
Employment reporting that the North Carolina Department
of Transportation is requiring for all projects
administered by local agencies with
Contractors/Subcontractors performing work on projects
that include the use of any ARRA funds. This webinar is
designed with recipients of NCDOT funding (ARRA) in
mind. Local agency representatives and their respective
NCDOT contacts are requested to attend. Register for a
session now by clicking a date:
Tue, Dec 15, 2009 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM EST or
Wed, Dec 16, 2009 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM EST.
-
12/9/09 - Recovery Zone Bonds - Dempsey Benton,
Director, Office of Economic Recovery & Investment
issued a memo regarding the Recovery Zone Bonds 'Notice
of Intent' Deadline: Dec. 15. This information can be
accessed at the
NC Recovery Web site or
http://www.ncrecovery.gov/library/pdf/RecoveryZoneBondsReminderMemo.pdf.
-
12/9/09 - The
North Carolina Office of Economic Recovery and
Investment published an online “Guidebook”
that outlines North Carolina ARRA activity in detail.
ARRA- related Management Directives, Reports, and
Workshop presentations are also available at this
website.
-
11/20/09-
The State Energy Office announced the release of the RFP
for the
competitive EECBG. The
application is now available online.
-
11/19/09 at 2-3:15 pm-
NACo will
host a webinar entitled "ARRA and Rural Broadband
Partnership Opportunities." This webinar will offer an
overview of private, nonprofit and public sector partners
that are interested in partnering with counties on broadband
deployment projects. Click
here to register for the Webinar.
-
11/18/09
- The City of Asheville will offer an ARRA Vendor Support
Session at the Asheville Municipal Building (Police & Fire
Station) 100 Court Plaza, 4th Floor on November 18th. This
event will update vendors on how to access information on
ARRA grant funding. Two sessions on the status of ARRA grant
funding and opportunities will be offered (9:30-10:30 and
11:30-12:30pm). Q & A will follow each session. Parking is
available in the County Parking Deck off College Street, the
deck off Biltmore Avenue and metered street parking where
available. For more information, contact
Brenda Mills.
-
11/12/09 at 1 pm
- The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) will host the first in
a series of webinars to support ARRA recipients who are
launching energy efficiency and renewable energy financing
programs. This session will highlight some of the resources
that are now available and will review a range of financing
program options that cities and states can consider.
Participants will learn about: The activities of the DOE’s
Financing Technical Assistance Team; key guidance on use of
ARRA funds to launch financing programs; tips for effective
program design; and the financing program options available.
to register:
https://eecbg.webex.com/eecbg - click the
"register" link next to "event status" on the left hand side
of the screen
-
10/21/09 - The Office for Historically
Underutilized Businesses – generally known as the HUB Office
– is offering a free webinar on Oct. 21 from 10 am- 2pm.
The HUB Office committed to advocating for minority, women
and disabled-owned businesses in their efforts to conduct
business with the State of North Carolina. This information
is important for local businesses and ARRA grant
administrators and funding recipients. Businesses may be
interested in learning about the certification how to
receive notification of funding opportunities, contracts,
and grants. The training is relevant to ARRA recipients
because ARRA contracts have
requirements related to notification, outreach, and
reporting business with HUBs. To access the webinar
please register by sending your name, address, company name,
and email to
huboffice.doa@doa.nc.gov or fax it to 919-807-2335.
On the day of the webinar, visit
http://www.doa.nc.gov/hub/, and then click the
icon for “webinar.” The webinar is interactive, so
participants may submit questions via phone, fax or email.
-
10/21/09 - The Office for Historically
Underutilized Businesses – generally known as the HUB Office
– is offering a free webinar on Oct. 21 from 10 am- 2pm.
The HUB Office committed to advocating for minority, women
and disabled-owned businesses in their efforts to conduct
business with the State of North Carolina. This information
is important for local businesses and ARRA grant
administrators and funding recipients. Businesses may be
interested in learning about the certification how to
receive notification of funding opportunities, contracts,
and grants. The training is relevant to ARRA recipients
because ARRA contracts have
requirements related to notification, outreach, and
reporting business with HUBs. To access the webinar
please register by sending your name, address, company name,
and email to
huboffice.doa@doa.nc.gov or fax it to 919-807-2335.
On the day of the webinar, visit
http://www.doa.nc.gov/hub/, and then click the
icon for “webinar.” The webinar is interactive, so
participants may submit questions via phone, fax or email.
-
10/15/09
- The City
of Asheville, AB-Tech Small Business Center, and other
regional business support agencies hosted the “ARRA
Business Support and Information Seminar.” The
presentations and fliers from this event are now posted
online. The workshop addressed ways that private
businesses can seek out, register for notification of, and
apply for government contracts resulting from ARRA and non-ARRA
opportunities. The information included overviews of:
AdvantageWest Advantage Opportunity Fund
Buncombe County’s ARRA Activities
City of Asheville’s ARRA Activities
Self Help’s Portfolio Loans, New Golden Leaf Loan
Program
SBA loans
List of Participating Agencies and Contact Information
(includes Asheville SCORE, NCDOT, Mountain BizWorks,
Cherokee Business Development Center, and many
more)
Steps and Resources for Contracting with Federal
Government
And much more!
- 9/24/09 -
The
State Energy Office announced two new ARRA-funded Requests for Proposals (RFPs). Details
of the RFPs can be found at
https://www.ips.state.nc.us/ips
-
Non-profit Energy Management Grant Fund (ARRA) (RFP
#200901040) –Deadline: 10/30/09 at 2 pm.
-
The NC Main Street Energy Grant Fund (RFP#200901019)- The
“Main Street” program will fund energy efficiency and
renewable energy initiatives for small businesses and
industries. This program seeks to boost economic development
in small towns, including those in rural areas. Energy
initiatives will complement existing economic development
tools and support regional job creation. Eligible
communities are those designated by the N.C. Commerce Dept.,
(Division of Community Assistance, Main Street Center) as
N.C. Main Street or Small Town Main Street communities.
Deadline: 11/18/09 at 2 pm.
- 9/24/09
- National Forests in NC and
ARRA. Approximately $2.25 million in ARRA funding will
support national forests in NC restoration projects. More
information is available through this press release or by
contacting Alice Cohen at acohen@fs.fed.us.
- 9/24/09
- Montreat was one of the
recipients of the reallocation of about $7.7 million in
economic recovery funding to 12 communities for “green”
drinking water projects and two communities for wastewater
infrastructure projects as a part of American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act awards.
- 9/18/09
- U.S. Senator Kay R. Hagan
(D-NC) announced that Western North Carolina is receiving a
$100,000 investment for its clean energy industry. The
funding has been allocated by the U.S. Department of
Commerce through the Economic Development Administration (EDA).
It will go to the Land-of-Sky Regional Council, a planning
and development organization, to fund a clean energy asset
mapping study for the region. The EDA seeks to meet the
economic development needs of communities and prepare
American regions for success in the worldwide economy.
- 9/14/09
- The US Department of Energy
announced up to $454 Million for Retrofit Ramp-Ups in Energy
Efficiency. Of this amount, $390 million will be for
competitive grants for neighborhood-scale building
retrofits. This competitive portion of the Energy Efficiency
and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program will target
community-scale retrofit projects that make significant,
long-term impacts on energy use and can serve as national
role models for grassroots energy efficiency efforts.
Eligible applicants for the $390 million funding allotment
are the same as for the formula EECBG program, however, as
currently proposed, there will be only a few large awards
made nationwide. The second component of this funding will
include $64 million for the units of local government and
Indian tribes that are not eligible for the direct formula
grants. These funds are intended to help expand local energy
efficiency efforts and reduce energy use in the commercial,
residential, transportation, manufacturing, or industrial
sectors. Currently the plans for this funding are outlined
in a Request for Information (RFI) and the US DOE is
accepting feedback on this proposal through 9/28/09. A
formal Request for Proposals (RFP) or Funding Opportunity
Announcement (FOA) will be released after that time period.
The non-profit group, Climate Communities, is collecting
feedback and submitting comments to the US DOE, but comments
can be made directly to the US DOE by email through 9/28/09.
- 9/9/09
- Green-for-All hosted a webinar, entitled "American
Recovery & Reinvestment Act - A Webinar for Small Businesses
and Non-profits. “The video of the webinar is available
here.
- 9/9/09
- The School of Government at the University of North
Carolina offered a webinar to address the reporting and
contracting requirements for local government purchases and
projects funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act (ARRA), including advertising requirements; mandatory
contract provisions; information on where, how, and what to
report; and a review of ARRA-related terminology. The
panelists will provide answers to frequently asked questions
regarding ARRA-funded projects, and will give participants
the opportunity to ask additional questions. For more
details and to register for the webinar, visit the course
page:
http://www.sog.unc.edu/courses/0479/index.html.
- 8/31/09
-
The
Triangle J Council of Governments (TJCOG) has been
awarded $12.9 million in federal grant funding to support
clean vehicles, fuels and infrastructure development for the
Carolina Blue Skies and Green Jobs Initiative. The Carolina
Blue Skies and Green Jobs Initiative will provide support
for alternative fuel vehicles and infrastructure projects by
collaborating with five alternative fuel partners in the
Carolinas:
Triangle Clean Cities Coalition (TCCC),
Centralina Clean Fuels Coalition (CFCC),
Land-Of-Sky Clean Vehicles Coalition (LOS-CVC),
North Carolina Solar Center, and
Palmetto State Clean Fuels Coalition (PSCFC). The
initiative is also supported by the NC and SC State Energy
Offices, the NC Biofuels Center, the NC Department of
Environment and Natural Resources, and the SC Department of
Health and Environmental Control. Carolina
Blue Skies will include vehicles and fueling infrastructure
for electric, hybrid-electric, compressed natural gas,
propane, E85, and biodiesel fuels and technologies.
Triangle Clean Cities estimates that this Initiative will
displace over 750,000 gallons of petroleum annually while
creating and preserving over 300 jobs and jumpstarting local
economies in both states. Up to forty-two (42) project
partners across both states will receive grant funding to
purchase advanced technology vehicles and install
alternative fueling infrastructure. Please note that
other funding opportunities for alternative fuel projects
are expected to be released soon. For more information
or to discuss project ideas please contact Bill Eaker
bill@landofsky.org.
- 8/27/09
- Broadband and WNC. Applications for ARRA
funding for broadband projects were submitted mid-August
2009. The total funding requested through ERC for broadband
in WNC was approximately $39 million. Applications included
both middle-mile and last-mile projects. The purpose of the
ARRA broadband grant applications is twofold – to increase
broadband access and build up rural broadband
infrastructure. ERC Broadband and its partners (Country
Cablevision and Balsam West) completed applications for
broadband expansion to impact five counties directly:
Buncombe, Graham, Mitchell, Yancey, and McDowell Counties.
Other surrounding counties are expected to receive indirect
benefits from the expanded fiber infrastructure. In
addition, MCNC, the state's K-20 educational network,
requested funding to build middle-mile fiber in Buncombe,
McDowell, Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Polk, Rutherford,
Transylvania, and several other western NC counties. A total
of $7.2 billion is available in ARRA funding for broadband
initiatives with $4.7 billion to be allocated in the first
of three funding cycles. If selected for further
consideration under the first round of funding, applicants
will complete a more extensive evaluation to begin
in mid-September. Then award notifications will be sent out
in mid to late October and funding will be allocated at the
end of 2009. For more information on the broadband grant
opportunities visit:
http://www.ntia.doc.gov/press/2009/BTOP_BIP_090827.html.
- 8/21/09
-
The
North Carolina State Energy Office has released
two Request for Proposals (RFPs) – one for
technical assistance providers (for energy surveys and
plans) and another for
Renewable Energy Projects for the installation of solar,
wind, biomass, and hydropower systems that use commercially
available technologies. Please note that the deadlines are
9/14 and 9/21 respectively. The State Energy Office provided
two updates to the recently released
Request for Proposals for Renewable Energy Projects for
renewable energy proposals. One addendum announced the
new deadline as September 21, 2009 at 2 PM. The
other addendum
announced changes to the RFP. For more information visit
www.energync.net.
- 8/21/09
- If you have received $25,000 or more in
Recovery Act funds you are required, under Section 1512 of
the Recovery Act, to report on the expenditure of those
funds. Register now at
www.FederalReporting.gov in preparation
for October 1 when the reporting process begins. Recipients
of funds received under the Recovery Act may now register at
www.federalreporting.gov.
- 8/14/09
-
Land-of-Sky Regional Council of North Carolina has been
selected by the US EPA to receive $660,000
to provide loans and subgrants to help carry out cleanup
activities, redevelopment projects, and create jobs for
local residents living near brownfields sites. This grant
was funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment
Act of 2009.
- 8/4/09
- Materials from the workshop
on “Energy
Planning for Local Governments” presented by the
Land-of-Sky Regional Council in anticipation of ARRA
grants by the State Energy Office and other funding
agencies are now available online at
http://www.cleanenergywnc.org/EconomicStimulus.html
- 8/14/09
-
Funds provided under the American Reinvestment and Recovery
Act (ARRA) for
Diesel Emissions Reduction Projects were awarded to 24
projects including the following awards in Western North
Carolina:
·
City of Asheville, Buncombe County, biodiesel
offsets, $30,000
·
Western NC Regional Air Quality Agency,
Buncombe County, diesel controls on fire trucks, $31,500
ARRA RESOURCES
·
Federal Government Recovery Act website
– Stimulus Guidance
· Directories of Federal government funding opportunities:
http://www.grants.gov/ and
https://www.fbo.gov/
·
ARRA Spending in NC
·
NC Office of Economic Recovery and Investment (OERI)
·
North Carolina Office of Economic Recovery and Investment (OERI)
published a list of ARRA non-competitive (formula) funding
distribution by county in NC in a
spreadsheet which indicates the funding from major ARRA
sources. This report reflects activities as of August 18,
2009. Other allocations are still to be made and will be
reflected in subsequent updates.
·
List of ARRA funding for various sectors
compiled by NC Recovery Office
·
North Carolina’s Interactive Purchasing
System – Select
“Purchase and Contract from the “Purchasing Agency”
drop-down menu. The search results show the open
solicitations. Recovery opportunities will be listed in blue
ink.
·
NC League of Municipalities – Stimulus Guidance
·
NC Association of County Commissioners – Stimulus Guidance
SOURCES
FOR ARRA INFORMATION AND UPDATES
To receive ARRA-related news and funding notices consider
subscribing to the following email list serves:
·
Local Government Environmental Assistance
Network -
LGEAN Email Update
·
North Carolina League of Municipalities
Federal Stimulus Email Updates - sign up at
·
http://www.nclm.org/stimulus.htm
·
Solicitations newsletter – compiled by
Washington State University Extension Energy Program.
Email
laurie.e.brown@comcast.net for regular updates on
energy-related funding opportunities.
·
Receive notifications of new grant
opportunity postings and updates on Grants.gov
ARRA
COMPLIANCE AND REPORTING
On
June 22, 2009, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
published its final guidance on reporting requirements for
stimulus funds. This guidance details the information
that every primary recipient of stimulus funds must include
in each quarterly report and provides a template for
reporting data. The first quarterly report is due on
October 10, 2009. The next quarterly report is due
January 10, 2009. Visit
www.federalreporting.gov for more information and review
the following documents: ·
Implementing Guidance
·
Reporting template
Additional ARRA compliance and reporting
resources include:
The Office of the White House offers
Webinar Training Materials
The North Carolina Office of Economic
Recovery and Investment ARRA guidance:
·
Management Directive #3
(published 5/5/09) – (scroll down to page 3)
·
Management
Directive #6 (published 7/21/09).
The NC Department of the State Treasurer guidance:
·
Contract Provisions for Procurement
(published 6/8/09)
·
ARRA Reporting
(published 9/11/09).
UNC-CH School of Government compliance and reporting guidance:
·
School of Government blog
about ARRA
·
Guide to American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Funding for North Carolina
Local Governments
ARRA FUNDING
SUMMARY SHEETS
(BY TOPIC) –PAST
DEADLINES
·
Fire Station Construction Grant - deadline: 7/10/09 (updated
7/28/2009)
·
Homelessness Prevention and Rapid
Re-Housing grants US HUD-
deadline:
early August (updated 7/7/2009)
·
NTIA Broadband Technologies Opportunities
Program (BTOP) –
deadline: 8/14/09 (updated 7/15/2009)
·
USDA Rural Utilities Services (RUS)
Broadband Initiatives Program (BIP) – deadline: 8/14/09 (updated 7/14/2009)
·
Renewable Energy Projects –State Energy Office - deadline
9/21/09 (updated 9/5/09)
·
Green Jobs Training Grants - deadlines: 9/4/09 and 9/30/09
(updated 7/15/2009)
→
Understanding the Competitive Grants for
Green Jobs Training (Download now)
·
US Fish and Wildlife Services Grants – deadlines: September
2009 (updated 7/15/09)
·US DOE Local Energy Assurance Planning
(LEAP) Initiative –
deadline 10/8/09
(updated 7/30/2009)
·
Non-profit Energy Management Grant Fund
(ARRA) –State Energy
Office - deadline 10/23/09 (updated 9/24/09) ·
Energy – State Energy Program and EECBG (updated 6/30/2009)
·
Energy – All ARRA and non-ARRA funding (updated 7/30/09)
·
Community and Economic Development (updated 6/30/2009)
·
Economic Development Administration (EDA) ARRA grants
(updated 6/30/2009)
·
USDA Rural Development Grants (updated 7/8/2009)
·
Supporting Healthy Communities through
ARRA (updated
7/8/2009)
·
NC Main Street Energy Grant Fund
State Energy Office - deadline 11/18/09 (updated 9/24/09) |
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