Reported by: Heather Turner
ABC15.com PHOENIX -- More than 1,500 jobs are expected to be created in the State’s Energy Office after Governor Jan Brewer approved Arizona’s State Energy Plan Wednesday, according to the governor’s office spokesperson Tasya Peterson.
Brewer announced that Arizona's State Energy Plan (SEP) under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 has been approved by the U.S. Department of Energy, Peterson said.
Arizona is among the first 10 states to receive stimulus funds for state energy plans, according to Peterson.
The State’s Energy Office at the Arizona Department of Commerce is expected to create more jobs for Arizonans.
About 40 percent of Arizona’s $55.4 million stimulus program will help expand the SEP, which is focused on energy efficiency and renewable energy programs and projects, according to Peterson.
"The SEP provides funding to effectively and efficiently make energy-related investments for Arizona's future," Governor Brewer said in a news release. "It promises to create jobs, bring investment in emerging technologies, such as biofuels and improved photovoltaic systems, and advance school and public building efficiency projects."
According to Peterson, Arizona will use the funding for a series of innovative programs to help advance Arizona’s energy efficiency and renewable energy investments.
Peterson said new energy performance contracts with Arizona schools and state buildings will annually reduce utility costs by $15.5 million for Arizona taxpayers.
They will do this by contracting to leverage $30 million in stimulus funding with private capital funding to get $150 million in energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, Peterson added.
Also according to Peterson, a revolving loan program will be established to provide a sustainable financing mechanism for small business owners looking to fund energy efficient building improvements or install solar projects at their facilities.
The program will also help provide for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in commercial buildings, and loans to manufacturers of renewable energy and equipment, Peterson said. Other programs will distribute $21 million to these projects statewide.
The state will reportedly receive an additional $27 million, totaling $55.4 million, due to a successful demonstration of implementing the plan. The Energy Office is in the process of establishing program guidelines.
According to Peterson, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act’s (ARRA) objective is to stimulate private investment, create more jobs in Arizona and speed economic recovery.
The State's application for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program will be filed before the June 25 deadline, Peterson said.
The EECBG program helps fund local governments, Indian tribes, and others so they can implement energy efficiency projects to reduce energy usage.
For more information, visit
www.azrecovery.gov.
