[caption id="attachment_2516" align="alignright" width="224" caption="The project will complete an eight-mile urban bicycle and pedestrian network in the heart of Indianapolis."][/caption]
Work will soon begin on the final section of the Indianapolis Bicycle and Pedestrian Network following agreement between the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Indiana Department of Transportation and the City of Indianapolis for a $20.5 million American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant.
[caption id="attachment_2244" align="alignright" width="224" caption="Salt Lake City is switching to high efficiency LED street lights."][/caption]
Salt Lake City will soon join the ranks of cities moving to LEDs to light city streets. Compared with traditional high pressure sodium (HPS) street lights, LEDs are more efficient, provide more uniform light distribution and increase light levels.
Union Station will get an expanded lobby and other improvements with an ARRA-funded renovation. (Art source: Midwest High Speed Rail Association.)
Chicago’s Union Station will be getting what many see as a long-needed renovation to accommodate heavy traffic.
Amtrak Board Chairman Tom Carper and Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn announced a $40 million capital construction project for the iconic downtown train hub, which will double the size of the passenger waiting area, add new restrooms and air conditioning to the “Great Hall”.
Since the federal government provided funds to help low-income households save money by using less energy, the Ohio has weatherized the most homes — almost 15,000 — in the country, according to the most recent U.S. Department of Energy statistics.
Pennsylvania families interested in improving the energy efficiency of their home heating systems can still apply for rebates to cover a portion of the costs, although they should do so quickly while limited funds are still available, state officials say.
While critics debate the true impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Illinois Association of Community Action Agencies (IACAA) reports some positive effects. The group has announced that its 35 member agencies weatherized more than 17,000 Illinois homes in the past year with the help of ARRA funds, doubling the number of homes from the previous year without ARRA monies.
The IACAA also reported that members created and retained more than 500 Illinois jobs because of the program.
The U.S. Department of Energy announced today that 20 communities have been selected for more than $60 million in funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to implement local energy efficiency and renewable energy programs that will reduce energy use by American homes, vehicles, and businesses. Local governments, nonprofit organizations and quasi-governmental organizations are among the recipients for the competitive grants, administered under the Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program.
The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) and the Environmental Defense Fund, with the support of The Meadows Foundation have developed the Texas Green Jobs Guidebook.
The project highlights that in an emerging green energy economy, green means dollars. There are more than 200 green jobs listed in guidebook, as well as specific training and education opportunities across Texas, and the list is expected to grow. Green is not a short term trend, but a fundamental shift in political, corporate, and personal decision making, according to those advocating for green jobs.
While Washington leaders debate whether the stimulus money has done enough for the economy, Wisconsin has latched onto money from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to kick start a wind turbine blade manufacturing plant in Wisconsin Rapids, a small city in the center of the state. The new factory is expected to be the most advanced in North America and employ more than 600 people.
The Energy Composites Corp. (ECC) facility will be built with the help of $238 million in municipal tax-free bonds from a pool of money (the state’s Recovery Zone Facility pool) created with federal stimulus dollars.
Got a refrigerator that’s not so chillin’ anymore? A washer that’s approaching its last spin? When that appliance goes kaput, or maybe beforehand, you’ll want to check out your state’s federally funded appliance rebate program.
Energy Star Front Load Washer by Whirlpool
That’s right, you may be able to get a federal kickback, courtesy of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, just for replacing that old appliance with a new Energy Star one. But you’ll have to check your state’s guidelines.
Under the $300 million U.S. Department of Energy appliance rebate program, each state was
SAN LEANDRO, CA (KGO) — This week it will be 200 days since President Barack Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, a massive federal program to create jobs by infusing cash into local communities. Some of that stimulus money is being used to clean up an environmental hazard in the Bay Area. >> Read the full story
Federal income tax credits for specific home improvements are available now through 2010 as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), which extended energy efficiency tax credits available in 2006 and 2007 but not 2008.
U.S. homeowners can enjoy the “triple crown” of energy efficiency — lower home energy bills, lower federal income taxes, and increased home comfort — by making energy efficiency home improvements that qualify for up to $1,500 in federal income tax credits.
“The ARRA tax credits are very similar to those that were in effect a few years ago and renewed for 2009 only in the Troubled Asset Relief Program last fall,” Steve Nadel, executive director of the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), said in a stateme
[caption id="attachment_2516" align="alignright" width="224" caption="The project will complete an eight-mile urban bicycle and pedestrian network in the heart of Indianapolis."]
Barbara Kessler
Andrew Winston
Danielle Nierenberg
Anthony Swift