Roth: Showing some energy smarts
By Jim Roth | January 10, 2011
Oklahoma County, Oklahoma City and the state of Oklahoma continue to lunge forward into the new era of energy efficiency with innovative cost-savings plans funded by the Recovery Act of 2009.
Specifically, they all applied for funding under the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program.
The program, funded for the first time by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, represents a presidential priority to deploy the cheapest, cleanest, and most reliable energy technologies, as reported at energy.gov.
It is intended to assist U.S. cities, counties, states, territories and Indian tribes to develop, promote, implement and manage energy-efficiency and conservation projects and programs designed to do the following:
• Reduce fossil fuel emissions.
• Reduce the total energy use of the eligible entities.
• Improve energy efficiency in the transportation, building, and other appropriate sectors.
• Create and retain jobs.
The total funding under the Recovery Act totals $3.2 billion. Of this amount, about $2.7 billion will be, or has been, awarded through formula grants. In addition, about $454 million is allocated through competitive grants, according to energy.gov.
Funding for new projects is no longer available under the act, but progress and specific allocation can be tracked at www.recovery.gov.
Under the able leadership of Oklahoma County Commission Chairman Ray Vaughn, Oklahoma County sought and received an allocation of $501,100 for energy smart funding. The $501,100 is being used to replace all 700 3/16th-inch single-pane windows in the Oklahoma County Office Building (Annex) at 320 Robert S. Kerr.
Oklahoma County began this project in the fall of 2010 and will have the project completed in the spring of 2011. Knox Glass was awarded the contract on June 25, 2010.
Oklahoma County has two goals with the project: improve existing buildings and facilities to lower energy costs and develop a process to continuously improve facility operations and continue preventive maintenance for all buildings.
Oklahoma County’s objective is to reduce energy consumption by 10 to 20 percent, reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 5 to 10 percent, and save about $30,000 a year in energy costs with the window replacement project, thereby paying for itself in the coming years.
Report information
The Oklahoma Department of Commerce applied for and was granted $9,593,500 in EECBG funds. The funds will be used to reduce fossil fuel emissions that are a result of activities within the jurisdictions of eligible entities. This will be done in a manner that is environmentally sustainable and practicable and maximizes benefits for local and regional communities. Goals include reducing the total energy use of the eligible entities and improving energy efficiency in transportation, building and other appropriate sectors.
The Department of Commerce currently has 33 Department of Energy-approved plans and is waiting for three more to be approved. The cities that have applied for sub-allocation under the commerce grant are: Bryan, Kingfisher, Atoka, Woodward, Tuttle, Prague, Warr Acres, Jenks, Nicoma Park, Langston, Okmulgee, Osage, Bethany, Fort Gibson, Sand Springs, Carmen, Duncan, Edmond, Hugo, Marlow, Nowata, Oklahoma City, Stilwell, Waynoka, Westville, Wilburton and Miami.
The sub-grants range between $200,000 and about $250,000 per entity. With these dollars and additional funding, the city of Oklahoma City is also pursuing smart energy initiatives that will pay dividends to its citizens for decades.
These dollars are being put to good use by Oklahoma City, Oklahoma County and the state to hire local citizens to make long-lasting improvements to local public assets. All in all, a very smart win-win.
Jim Roth, a former Oklahoma corporation commissioner, is an attorney with Phillips Murrah P.C. in Oklahoma City, where his practice focuses on clean, green energy for Oklahoma.