N.D. awarded funds from Department of Energy

U.S. Sens. Byron Dorgan and Kent Conrad and Rep. Earl Pomeroy, all D-N.D., announced today that the Department of Energy has awarded more than $9.8 million to North Dakota to promote a variety of energy programs including energy efficiency, conservation and energy educational resources. The funds are part of the State Energy Program (and come from the recent economic recovery bill.

According to the Department of Energy, North Dakota will use its Recovery Act SEP funding to promote various energy efficiency and conservation efforts, including providing energy education resources for North Dakota’s agricultural and industrial sectors that will help farmers, ranchers, contractors and building tradesmen reduce their energy use. North Dakota will offer training, technical assistance and marketing and outreach support to promote the adoption of energy efficient construction practices and agricultural technologies, conservation techniques and the use of clean renewable energy sources.

North Dakota will also lead by example, improving the energy efficiency of state buildings and installing renewable energy systems at state facilities. Funds will be used to create a statewide energy efficiency and renewable energy rebate program, in partnership with investor-owned, municipal utilities and rural electric cooperatives. And the state will establish an Emergency High Efficiency Furnace Rebate Program, which will assist victims of the 2009 spring floods with the incremental cost of installing a high efficiency furnace to replace standard efficiency furnaces and heating systems. Grants up to $300 will be offered to individual homeowners who need to replace these systems as a result of the flooding around the state.

After demonstrating successful implementation of its plan, the state will receive more than $12 million in additional funding, for a total of more than $24 million.