FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:                                                                               CONTACT: Erin McNeill

April 16, 2009                                                                                                                      (617) 722-1551

                                                                                                                                                 erin.mcneill@state.ma.us

Joint Committee on Federal Stimulus Oversight holds third hearing to

examine environmental and energy provisions in

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

Senator Pacheco encourages local governments to learn how to access full benefits

April 16, 2009 –Ian Bowles, secretary of the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs today told the Joint Committee on Federal Stimulus Oversight that his department is working to rank shovel-ready projects to determine where to apply nearly $55 million in federal grants Massachusetts will receive to increase energy efficiency and fund alternative and renewable energy projects.

In addition, he said the state would distribute $42 million in energy efficiency and conservation block grants, to local governments, based on formulas. However, he said municipalities with populations greater than 35,000 would be required to submit applications, while the state would handle the application process for smaller towns.

“Towns and cities need to have a plan for how they will use this block grant money,” said Senator Marc Pacheco (D-Taunton), Senate Chairman of the Joint Committee on Federal Stimulus Oversight. “I encourage all town and city administrators to find out what they need to know to get the full benefit of the block grants by participating in to the two online seminars that the Department of Energy Resources.”

The “webinars” can be found at the DOER homepage at mass.gov/doer and will be held for those municipalities with populations:

• Over 35,000 on April 22, 10 a.m.
• Under 35,000 on May 6, 10 a.m.

The state will also likely receive additional competitive grant funds for environmental and energy projects, but Bowles said the federal government had not yet issued guidance for those applications. He said his staff would post any federal guidance on the mass.gov/eea/recovery website.