In 2009, Congress passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act providing the largest single increase for energy efficiency programs. Funding under the Recovery Act was directed to five programs totalling $84,222,593. Below is a breakdown of funds in the five programs:

• Low Income Weatherization Assistance Program $41,644,458
  
• State Energy Program $30,910,000
  
• Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants $9,593,500
  
• State Energy Efficiency Appliance Rebate Program $1,711,000
  
• Energy Assurance Capabilities and Planning for Smart Grid $363,635

In November 2010, another American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant was received:

• Provide code training to professionals, builders and code officials $276,417

The activities in each program from receipt of the grant through February 1, 2012, (except where noted otherwise) are detailed below. The U.S. Department of Energy has oversight of the funds and issued regulations and guidelines for the states to follow.

The Low Income Weatherization Assistance Program, as a part of the Recovery Act, received $41.6 million over 36 months. The Recovery Act funding is to scale-up existing weatherization efforts in the state, create jobs, reduce carbon emissions and save money for low-income families by improving energy efficiencies. Services are provided at the local level primarily by community action agencies. Nebraska’s plan is to weatherize 4,000 homes across the state. Households with annual income at or below 200 percent of the federal the poverty level are eligible for assistance.

In May 2009, the state submitted a plan for use of the Weatherization Assistance Program funds that projects the estimated number of houses that will receive energy efficiency improvements and the amount of funding each service provider will receive. A summary of that plan is available on the agency website.

The table below depicts the subgrantees’ progress. Updated data appears monthly on the agency website showing total production and funds expended by each provider.

Under the Recovery Act, Nebraska received $30,910,000 in State Energy Program funds to be spent from 2009 through March 2012. The following summary encompasses the elements of the Nebraska State Energy Program plan submitted to the U.S. Department of Energy for review on May 11, 2009 and approved June 10, 2009:

Dollar and Energy Saving Loans
Recovery Act Funds: $11,000,000 Leveraged Funds: $4,000,000

The Nebraska Energy Office operates the Dollar and Energy Saving Loan program, a revolving loan program for Nebraskans to make energy efficient improvements in homes, farms, ranches, businesses, industries, alternative fuel vehicles, schools and others. The loan program is operated with the state’s financial institutions. The Energy Office invests in these loans by purchasing 50 to 75 percent of the loan at zero interest, which lowers the interest rate to the borrower to 5 to 2.5 percent, respectively, and leverages lender funds of 25 to 50 percent of each loan. Loans are available at more than 914 lending sites across the state.

With $11 million in Recovery Act funds, the Energy Office raised the loan pool to $36 million. The interest rate was lowered to 2.5 percent and the loan limit on a case-by-case basis has been lifted from the $750,000 cap.

As of February 1, 2012, $6,444.454.63 was expended for loans, $1,031,728.34 was obligated to projects and another $341,770.18 was pending review by agency staff. Total of all obligated and committed loan funds is $7,817,953.15.

Advanced Renewable Energy Projects
Recovery Act Funds: $3,508,095.13 Leveraged Funds: $4,560,697.07

• List of Applicants and Projects (PDF 68KB)
• News release on Advanced Renewable Energy Project Solicitation, July 24, 2009

The objectives of the Advanced Renewable Energy Project are to:

• Increase renewable energy generation in Nebraska
  
• Demonstrate the use of renewable energy technology in new ways
  
• Deploy cutting edge renewable technologies
  
• Generate energy from renewable resources on or before March 2012
  
• Avoid greenhouse gas emissions
  
• Leverage funds and create jobs.

A solicitation for proposals for Advanced Renewable Energy Projects was issued on July 24, 2009, and Letters of Intent were due on September 3, 2009. By the deadline, 112 applicants listed projects totaling more than $135 million. On November 3, 2009, formal project applications were due. At that time, 49 of the original 112 submitted detailed information about projects totaling more than $41.06 million. Under the solicitation’s guidelines, all proposed projects were reviewed for State Energy Program compliance and suitability under the National Environmental Policy Act by the U.S. Department of Energy. The projects listed below were selected for funding after technical review and federal approval was received.

Renewable Energy Curriculum
Recovery Act Funds: $1,910,000

The objectives are to:

• Develop renewable energy curricula for use at Nebraska technical community colleges
  
• Create new jobs and increase productivity to spur economic growth and community development by providing training and instruction in renewable energy methods and technologies
  
• Implement renewable energy curricula that will result in increased energy generation from renewable technologies in Nebraska
  
• Evaluate and assess the outcomes and impact of the renewable energy climate.

Under a solicitation issued in January 2010, the six community colleges will each receive up to $318,333 to develop renewable energy curricula to train Nebraskans in renewable energy technologies. As shown in the table, five community colleges — Central, Mid-Plains, Northeast, Southeast and Western — combined their curricula efforts. Current course offerings are listed at www.neo.ne.gov/careers/energycareers.htm.

Building Energy Code Training and Enforcement
Recovery Act Funds: $199,838.20
Expended: $75,496.12 as of January 31, 2012

The Energy Office will provide information on residential and commercial building energy codes, and conduct training and certification of city and county code officials and members of the construction industry.

• Update the state’s building energy codes as appropriate.
  
• Upgrade the state’s efforts on building energy code compliance and inspections.
  

State Building Energy Efficiency
Recovery Act Funds: $11,491,904.87

• $6 million will fund energy efficiency building improvements on the University of Nebraska, State and Community College campuses.
  
• $4 million will fund energy efficiency improvements in state government buildings under the management of the Administrative Services State Building Division.
• $452,800 for EPA ENERGY STAR® benchmarking of up to 1,000 public school buildings and investment grade audits for a selected portion of participating schools.

Projects listed below have been selected for funding and the work has commenced.

Consumer Information on Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
Recovery Act funds: $700,161.80
Expended: $414,616.78 as of January 31, 2012

Energy Detective Kits for 5th Grade Students
After a competitive solicitation, the Energy Office awarded a contract to design, produce and administer an educational based program that features a blend of innovative education, comprehensive implementation services and hands-on activities to put energy efficiency knowledge to work in the classrooms of Nebraska fifth grade students. The curriculum includes Energy Detective Kits containing high-quality efficiency devices to be installed as part of the science and math-based educational program.

In school year 2010-2011, 19,810 students in the state participated in this voluntary program. The effort is a cost-shared activity between the Energy Office and a number of electric utilities and one natural gas utility in the state and up to $377,577 has been allocated. The program began in August 2010. The program continues to be offered in the 2011-2012 school year.

As of February 4, 2012: 13,186 student and teacher kits had been reserved for use in school year 2011-2012.

Wind for Schools
The Nebraska Energy Office has issued contracts using SEP Recovery Act funds to eight public school districts in Nebraska for $5,000 each. The funds will be used to pay for part of the cost of a 2.5KWH wind turbine in conjunction with the Wind for Schools projects. A total of $50,000 is available for a total of 10 schools.

Administration, Evaluation, Monitoring and Reporting
Recovery Act Funds: $2,100,000
Expended: $1,019,729.91 as of January 31, 2012

The Energy Office will administer Recovery Act funds, monitor grants and report on required activities. The Energy Office will make on-site inspections to funded projects to document progress and compliance with federal regulations and contracts.

• The University of Nebraska-Lincoln will measure the impact of the Dollar and Energy Saving Loan Program to quantify economic impacts and energy and greenhouse gas emission savings under a $453,514 contract. As of February 1, 2012, $178,902.93 had been spent.
  
  

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program provides funding to eligible entities that implement strategies that:

• Reduce fossil fuel emissions in a manner that is environmentally sustainable and maximizes benefits for local and regional communities
  
• Reduce the total energy use of eligible entities
  
• Improve energy efficiency in the building sector and other appropriate sectors

Under the Recovery Act, the Energy Office received $9,593,500. Following a plan submitted to the U.S. Department of Energy on June 19, 2009, and approved September 14, 2009, the agency on December 3, 2009, issued a request for proposals from the approximately 83 counties and 500 towns and villages in the state that did not receive a direct allocation of block grant funds. Grants of up to $250,000 for street and traffic lighting projects, building retrofits, and renewable energy projects were available. A 20 percent cash match by the grantee was required.

The Energy Office received 121 applications proposing 208 individual projects, and was able to fund 87 percent of the municipalities and 76 percent of the counties that applied. The award of $8,799,052 in grant funds was announced on June 8, 2010, to 96 city and county governments with 176 individual projects, varying in size and scope from $198 up to $250,000. More than $3.968 million in matching funds were committed to these projects which are to be completed by December 31, 2011.

Of the projects receiving EECBG funds, 19 will replace inefficient traffic signals and street lighting, with the remainder being energy efficiency retrofits for replacing outdated and inefficient windows, doors, interior lighting, insulation and heating and cooling systems.

Two recipients, Randolph and Banner County declined the grants.  Those funds were used for projects in Brown County. Currently, there are 95 grants for 175 projects. Funds spent as of February 1, 2012, are listed below.

In August 2009, the Energy Office submitted a pre-application under the Recovery Act’s State Energy Efficiency Appliance Rebate Program. In October 2009, the agency submitted a plan that detailed how the state would implement an appliance rebate program. On December 14, 2009, the U.S. Department of Energy approved the plan for $1.711 million and $205,320 in state matching funds.

The program was structured to provide rebate claims after an eligible appliance had been purchased from six appliance categories: dishwashers, clothes washers, refrigerators, heat pumps, furnaces and central air conditioners. Rebates ranged from $100 to $250 for each appliance with a limit of two per household.

In May 2010, the agency selected a contractor to assist the agency in providing information to consumers and sellers, verifying rebate claims and issuing payment to Nebraskans.

On July 6, 2010 the Nebraska Appliance Rebate program opened. By noon on July 10, 2010 all rebate funds had been obligated, pending submission of documentation by the purchasers. By December 31, 2010, a total of 9,019 rebates had been approved and payment issued in the following categories:

• Air source heat pumps 159
  
• Central air conditioners 89
  
• Clothes washers 2,251
  
• Dishwashers 2,725
  
• Furnaces 334
  
• Refrigerators 3,461
  

As of December 31, 2010, all federal funds had been spent and this program was closed in February 2011.

• Energy Star Appliance Rebate Plan Summary submitted October 19, 2009 and approved December 1, 2009.

•  The Energy Assurance Grant, Project Narrative submitted on July 24, 2009. 
•  The Energy Assurance Grant, Project Summary submitted on July 24, 2009. 

On September 30, 2010, the Energy Office submitted a competitive proposal for Recovery Act Building Energy Code funding to Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. Under the proposal, the Energy Office would perform a number of tasks related to increasing the state’s building energy codes:

• Assess code compliance,
  
• Measure the economic value of code compliance,
  
• Gather information on current building codes in comparison to Nebraska,
  
• Provide code training to professionals, builders and code officials and
  
• Develop code compliance strategies.
  

Under this U.S. Department of Energy funded award, the agency was able to further a number of building energy code tasks including an evaluation of existing code compliance, providing for training opportunities for Nebraska target groups, conducting an assessment of current code practices and knowledge and developing strategies for enforcement and adoption of codes.

As a part of this activity, nearly 700 professionals attended 11 workshops on aspects of the new 2009 IECC and ASHRAE code updates; hundreds of 2009 IECC code books were distributed for free; and 100 recently built homes across the state were assessed for code compliance.

This competitive cooperative agreement from the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory for $276,451 was received in November 2010 and completed by June 30, 2011.

Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants

• Scribner Receives $225,189 from the Nebraska Energy Office for Energy Efficient Street Lights
• Window/Door Project Brings Large Improvement to Greeley Courthouse
• Over 500 Energy-Saving LED Street Lights Installed in Superior
• Project Sheds New Light on Courthouse Windows
• New Boiler System is Fully Electronic and Baby-Sitter Free
• Energy Project Complete at Callaway Village Offices
• Open House Features Renovations at Paxton Community Center
• Walthill Will See Reduction in Costs with Street Lights
• City of Blair Saving Green by Going Green with Street Lights
• Reed's Food Center Goes "Green"
• Heating/Cooling System and Energy Efficient Lighting Installed in Village of Pilger
• Tecumseh Welcomes LEDs and Energy Savings
• Diller Community Center Benefits from Recovery Act Dollars

State Energy Program

• Energy Grant Helps Upgrade Mid-Plains Community College Buildings
• Nebraska's First Wind Facility Coming Back to Life with New Direct-Drive Turbines at Springview
• AGP Corn Processing, Inc.
• Morrissey Engineering - Solar Electric, Geothermal, Wind
• Metropolitan Utilities District to Build Two Compressed Natural Gas Stations
• Nebraska Energy Office and 79 Utilities Provide Energy Saving Kits for up to 24,000 Elementary School Students
• Nebraska Public Power District Solar Energy Project in Norfolk