Santa Fe to Receive $780,000+ in Stimulus Funds for Energy Efficiency

According to a statement released today, the City of Santa Fe has been identified to receive $781,600 in federal economic stimulus money for energy and conservation projects. The money was provided through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program.

“We are thrilled to receive these funds from President Barack Obama’s stimulus package and thankful to Senator Jeff Bingaman for his support in securing this money,” said Santa Fe Mayor David Coss. “We have a president and congressional leadership who understand that in this country, change comes not from the top-down, but from the bottom-up. This stimulus money emphasizes a bottom-up, community-based approach which will help Santa Fe and other cities around the country meet our energy and climate protection goals while also infusing much-needed capital into the local economy.”

Santa Fe Mayor David Coss joined other mayors across the country in endorsing the stimulus package as a member of the U.S. Conference of Mayors. The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program was "conceived" by The U.S. Conference of Mayors and was a top priority of the Mayors' 10-Point Plan and the Mayors' MainStreet Recovery Program. The U.S. Conference of Mayors has recognized that the efforts of Senator Bingaman, U.S. Senate Energy Chair, were instrumental in supporting the Block Grant.

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant funds can be used for the following applications:

• Energy efficiency retrofits at public and private facilities
• Projects that would reduce the release of methane and other greenhouse gases generated by landfills
• Replacement of street lighting with energy efficient lighting, i.e. LED lighting
• Installation of renewable energy at city government buildings

City of Santa Fe Energy Specialist Nick Schiavo, who is finalizing the paperwork to receive the stimulus money, said he would like to use the funding for energy efficiency retrofits in city government buildings, including lighting retrofits, upgrades to HVAC equipment and improved insulation as well as use it to invest in renewable energy, particularly solar energy technology, at select city buildings. The city buildings most likely to see the upgrades are those that have had energy efficiency audits completed.