American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Funding for Sustainability
by Beth Gray
In February 2009, President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, commonly known as the Recovery Act. According to the Administration’s website established to track the Recovery Act and the funds allocated from it, the purpose of the Act is three-fold: to “create new jobs and save existing ones,” to “spur economic activity and invest in long-term growth,” and to “foster unprecedented levels of accountability and transparency in government spending.” The Recovery Act included more than $80 billion in clean energy investments. As institutions of higher education begin addressing their own carbon footprints and the issues related to climate change in general, there are opportunities for them to apply for funds through the Recovery Act in order to implement projects that can help.
Various government agencies have been provided with portions of the total allotted in the Recovery Act and institutions of higher education may find funding for their sustainability projects through these agencies. For example, the Department of Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is responsible for some $16.8 billion of Recovery Act funding. Included in that total is some $11.3 billion for projects related to weatherization, state energy programs, and conservation block grants. Additionally, according to Financing Sustainability on Campus, a National Association of College and University Business Officer’s publication, the Recovery Act allocated $3.1 billion to the State Energy Program (SEP) “for onward allocation by state energy offices to higher education institutions and other organizations within their jurisdictions.”
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was also tasked with administering more than $7 billion in funding for projects and programs under the Recovery Act. The EPA’s website provides detailed information on how to apply for grants as well as contracts related to the Recovery Act funds it is administering. A number of other specific projects related to sustainability have been targeted by the Obama Administration and provided with Recovery Act funds for implementation. To learn more about the funding that may be available, visit http://www.grants.gov/.
Without question, higher education is in a unique position to make meaningful progress in the battle to combat climate change. As institutions of research and learning, colleges and universities have the intellectual capital to identify and implement measures that will have a positive effect on the state of our environment. Often the largest barrier is financial. With the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, President Obama has provided substantial funding opportunities that can help such institutions overcome this barrier and move forward with projects related to sustainability. Identifying which agency or organization has the funds that are most suited to help fund a project is the first step in the process toward applying for and hopefully acquiring the money necessary to begin projects on campus related to sustainability.
Tags: American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Department of Energy, EPA, National Association of College and University Business Officers, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Recovery Act Funding, State Energy Program
