Energy Efficiency: Observations on Recovery Act-Funded Programs & Choices Compared with Utility Customer-Funded Programs

Since the spring of 2009, billions of federal dollars have been allocated to state and local governments as grants for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects and programs. The scale of this American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) funding, focused on "shovelready" projects to create and retain jobs, is unprecedented. Thousands of newly funded players -- cities, counties, states, and tribes -- and thousands of programs and projects are entering the existing landscape of energy efficiency programs for the first time or expanding their reach. The nations experience base with energy efficiency is growing enormously, fed by federal dollars and driven by broader objectives than saving energy alone. This book focuses on a selected set of ARRA-funded energy efficiency programs administered by state energy offices: the State Energy Program (SEP) formula grants, the portion of Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) formula funds administered directly by states, and the State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program (SEEARP).