Two Fidalgo Island tribes will receive funds to invest in energy efficiency and conservation. The Samish Tribe will receive $73,900 and the Swinomish Indians will receive $38,300.

U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell has announced that Washington state tribes will receive $2.6 million in funding to invest in energy efficiency and conservation projects.  The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will provide formula grants for projects that reduce total energy use and fossil fuel emissions, and improve energy efficiency nationwide.  Cantwell was one of authors of this program as part of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Since then, Cantwell has been fighting to get it fully funded so communities across the country can implement new clean energy technologies, create jobs and reduce their citizens’ energy costs.
 
“As communities across Washington state look for ways to increase economic development, this funding will allow them to create green jobs, develop and implement energy efficient programs, and use new technologies to curb greenhouse gas emissions,” said Cantwell.  “Tribal governments are ready to step up and address our country’s significant energy challenges, and these funds will allow them to do that today with dividends for years to come.”
 
EECBG was authorized as part of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, which Cantwell helped write.  This program, modeled after the successful Community Development Block Grant program, gives financial support to cities, counties, states, and tribes working to lower greenhouse gas emissions, achieve greater energy efficiency, and increase use of renewable energy technologies.
 
The funding will support energy audits and energy efficiency retrofits in residential and commercial buildings, the development and implementation of advanced building codes and inspections, and the creation of financial incentive programs for energy efficiency improvements.  Other activities eligible for use of grant funds include transportation programs that conserve energy, projects to reduce and capture methane and other greenhouse gas emissions from landfills, renewable energy installations on government buildings, energy efficient traffic signals and street lights, deployment of Combined Heat and Power and district heating and cooling systems, and others.  Funding is based on a formula that accounts for population and energy use.