New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson Announces State to Award Roughly $37 Million in Funding for Clean Energy Projects

State Seeks Applications for State Energy Program and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program

May 20, 2009 -- Santa Fe - New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson and the New Mexico Office of Recovery and Reinvestment announce that funding from the U.S. Department of Energy through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will be awarded to demonstration energy projects through a Request for Application (RFA) process.

The Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department manages programs receiving the funding - the State Energy Program and the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program - through its Energy Conservation and Management Division. Approximately $37 million in total funding will be available for this solicitation and for future requests that will be issued later this summer.

“We’ve just completed our statewide listening tour to help make communities aware of funding opportunities through the federal stimulus program. This is an opportunity for New Mexico’s public entities, municipalities and counties to apply for funding designed for projects that promote clean energy and invest in energy efficiency,” said Governor Richardson.

The RFA’s purpose is to solicit applications for demonstration projects that:

• Increase energy efficiency to reduce energy costs and consumption for consumers, businesses, and government;

• Generate renewable energy;

• Reduce reliance on imported energy;

• Improve the reliability of electricity and fuel supply and the delivery of energy services;

• Reduce the impact of energy production and use on the environment;

• Demonstrate energy efficiency and clean energy technologies in New Mexico while also reducing energy use, controlling operational costs, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions; and

• Preserve and create jobs.

“These grants will provide from $50,000 to $500,000 to competitively-selected projects,” said Joanna Prukop, Cabinet Secretary for Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department.

“We are excited about these energy-saving opportunities and want to encourage those qualified to apply for funding that will reduce their energy costs and increase conservation gains.” The Demonstration Energy Projects Program provides competitive grants to public entities for projects that achieve one or more of the above objectives in building projects, transportation projects, energy-related community projects, and energy education projects, or combinations thereof. These projects may include use of renewable energy (solar, wind, biomass, geothermal) and clean-burning transportation fuels (compressed natural gas, propane, electricity, hydrogen, cellulosic ethanol, methanol, biodiesel). Project funding is contingent upon state plan approval and receipt of funding from DOE.

For the State Energy Program funding under this RFA, only public entities including public schools (K-12), local governments such as municipalities and counties, state agencies, colleges and universities, and Indian tribes and pueblos are eligible to apply and compete. Successful Applicants may subcontract all or parts of their projects as specified in their Applications and in compliance with the New Mexico Procurement Code. Other funding opportunities for the public and private sectors will be available through RFAs and Requests for Proposals that will be issued later this summer.

For Block Grant funding under this RFA, all New Mexico municipalities and counties are eligible to apply and compete. Sixty (60) percent of the block grant awards must be awarded to entities that did not receive direct awards from the U.S. Department of Energy. The entities that received direct awards are: all of New Mexico’s tribes and pueblos; the 10 largest cities (Albuquerque, Las Cruces, Rio Rancho, Santa Fe, Roswell, Farmington, Alamogordo, Clovis, Hobbs, and Carlsbad); and the 10 largest counties (Bernalillo, San Juan, Doña Ana, Sandoval, McKinley, Santa Fe, Valencia, Rio Arriba, Grant, and Taos). However, these entities may apply for block grant awards from the remaining 40 percent of the funds.

The deadline for application submittals is 4:00 PM Mountain Daylight Time, Friday, June 26, 2009. The complete RFA containing detailed information is available at NMORR’s website at www.recovery.state.nm.us/agencies/emnrd.html and at www.CleanEnergyNM.org (click on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Information link in the right navigation). A free webinar to help guide potential applicants through the application process will be hosted by the Energy Conservation and Management Division on Monday, June 1, from 2:00-3:30 PM. Webinar information and a registration link are also provided on the websites.

Source: New Mexico Governor