Appliance Rebate Program

The New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning today announced the agency has submitted a State Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program plan to the Department of Energy. The innovative proposal, developed in collaboration with a variety of stakeholders, will offer $1.2 million in rebates to New Hampshire residents for the purchase and installation of solar-thermal hot-water systems and for upgrading heating systems, including boilers, furnaces and hot-water heaters to more energy-efficient models.

This plan is designed to:

• Save the greatest amount of energy;
• Compliment existing programs;
• Result in a high rate of recycling older and less efficient appliances; and
• Assist and encourage market transformation of renewable energy.

By leveraging existing programs such as the Renewable Portfolio Standard-funded programs, System Benefits Charges and federal tax credits, OEP has developed a plan that will maximize the environmental and economic impacts of this rebate program, while ensuring the state meets the DOE’s objectives of achieving the greatest possible energy savings, and stimulating economic activity and job creation.

New Hampshire expects to realize a significant level of energy savings with this plan. The rebate will be available to New Hampshire residents who are replacing an existing appliance listed under the program. Savings for residents, in some instances, could be as high as 50 percent for replacing a wasteful and inefficient hot-water heater, boiler or furnace. Also noteworthy is this program will be available to municipal utility ratepayers in addition to all New Hampshire residents.

Rebates on air conditioners, clothes washers and other home appliances will continue to be offered through the electric utilities NH Saves Program.

OEP anticipates a decision on its proposal from DOE by the end of the year. If approved, rebates are expected to be available in early 2010 through late 2012 or until funding is depleted, whichever comes first and the rebate will not be available to prior purchases.

Please visit the appliance rebate program Web site for more information or contact Kate Vattes at 271-0598.

RFP seeking an administrator for EECBG Program

The deadline to submit EECBG RFPs to OEP was Friday, Oct. 16 by 4 p.m. An evaluation team consisting of OEP staff and other qualified personnel will be convened to evaluate responses to this RFP. Upon the selection, contracting, and approval by the Governor and Executive Council, OEP will alert the listserv of the selected administrator for the program. Until then, we will not release information pertaining to the bidders. More information will be posted on the ARRA home page as it becomes available.

Building Code Compliance RFP

OEP closed out the bidding process for the Building Code Compliance program. Proposals to administer this program were due on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2009, by 4 p.m. A selection committee will meet in proceeding weeks to select the administrator(s). Upon the selection, contracting, and approval by the Governor and Executive Council, OEP will alert the listserv of the selected administrator for the program. Until then, we will not release information pertaining to the bidders. Please contact Laura Richardson at (603) 271-6092 for more information on OEP’s Building Code Compliance Program or visit the Building Code Compliance Web site.

Administrator for SEP EE/RE Loans and Grants for Business

The selection process is underway and we anticipate the programs to be running in the early part of 2010. Funding will be available for energy efficiency measures to buildings and/or processes and for renewable energy systems to be installed on or at business-owned buildings. The selection committee has had several meetings in recent weeks to select the administrator(s). Upon selection, contracting, and approval by the Governor and Executive Council, OEP will alert the listserv of the selected administrator(s) for the program. Until then, we will not release information pertaining to the bidders.

National Clean Diesel Funding Opportunity

EPA Announces Availability of National Clean Diesel Funding. On October 6, 2009, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released a Request for Proposals (RFP) for competitive grant applications for projects funded under the 2009 AND 2010 National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program. The next competitive solicitation will not be until 2011! Funding for this program is provided through the Diesel Emission Reduction Act (DERA). Completed applications, either electronic or hard copy submittals, need to be received by the EPA no later than 4:00 PM Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2009.

Please see the EPA National Clean Diesel Web site for the solicitation announcement and information about this program. EPA New England (Region 1) is accepting non-tribal proposals for projects located within Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont. Only proposals requesting EPA funding between $250,000 and $1,000,000 will be considered. It is anticipated that six to nine Region 1 assistance agreements will be made from this announcement.

Project Period (estimated):
April 1, 2010 to March 31, 2012

Eligible Applicants:

• U.S. regional, State, local or tribal agencies or port authorities with jurisdiction over transportation or air quality,
• and Nonprofit organizations or institutions that: represent or provide pollution reduction or educational services to persons or organizations that own or operate diesel fleets; or have, as their principal purpose, the promotion of transportation or air quality.

Note: If you are not an eligible applicant (private fleet), please contact us to see if we can help in finding an eligible project partner.

Eligible Fleets:

• Buses
• Medium or heavy duty trucks
• Marine engines
• Locomotives
• Non-road engines, equipment, or vehicles used in construction, handling of cargo (including at a port or airport), agriculture, mining, or energy production (including stationary generators and pumps).

Final Notes:

Begin working on your project now! Successful applicants are those whose project proposals are complete, address every area of the RFP, and have well developed objectives and outcomes. This level of detail takes time, so start now. If you are planning to re-submit a proposal that was not selected in a previous round do not just recycle the proposal, go back and review and work to strengthen the previous proposal. DES will answer questions about the EPA’s National Clean Diesel Campaign and this funding opportunity to the best of our ability, but EPA is going to be the best source of information so please go to their Web site and get your questions in early. Please contact Thomas Fargo, DES-DERA Program Manager at 271-1378 with any questions, comments, or ideas.

Full Funding for New Hampshire State Energy Program

U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu today announced that New Hampshire has received all of the State Energy Program funding allocated to the state under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The Department of Energy delivered an additional $12 million to the state, which has now received a total of $25 million through the State Energy Program to support energy efficiency and renewable energy projects across the state, while creating jobs and reducing carbon pollution.

"States are the engines of our economy and the laboratories of innovation," said Secretary Chu. "This funding will allow states to put in place innovative energy efficiency and renewable energy projects that will create jobs in communities across the country while reducing carbon pollution and helping to shift how America uses energy."

The Department of Energy had previously awarded the first 50 percent of New Hampshire’s State Energy Program (SEP) funding. The remaining 50 percent announced today was delivered to the state after aggressive oversight, reporting, and accountability measures were put in place.

New Hampshire will implement several energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives with funding from the Recovery Act. New Hampshire plans to include programs that will increase building efficiency for businesses, commercial enterprises, institutions and non-profits through building codes and competitive loan and grant programs.

The state will provide technical and financial assistance to these businesses and institutions as they seek to reduce their energy use and costs through a variety of measures, including more energy efficient processes. The New Hampshire SEP will also support energy efficiency upgrades to 75 state-owned buildings and 13 college and university campuses, saving taxpayers money and reducing energy use across the state.

The Recovery Act appropriated $3.1 billion to the State Energy Program to help promote energy efficiency and clean energy deployment, as well as to support local economic recovery. States use these grants at the state and local level to create green jobs and address state energy priorities. Activities eligible for State Energy Program funding include energy audits, building retrofits, education and training efforts, transportation programs to increase the use of alternative fuels and hybrid vehicles, and new financing mechanisms to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy investments.

Transparency and accountability are important priorities for SEP and all Recovery Act projects. Throughout the program's implementation, DOE will provide strong oversight at the local, state, and national level, while emphasizing with states the need to quickly award funds to help create new jobs and stimulate local economies. For more information, please visit the State Energy Program Web site.

All information provided by the New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning (OEP) is made available for the convenience of interested persons. While OEP makes every effort to provide information that is reliable, human or mechanical error remain a possibility. Therefore, OEP makes no guarantee as to the accuracy, completeness or currency of the information. Neither OEP nor any of the sources of the information shall be responsible for any errors or omissions, or for the use or result obtained from the use of this information.

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