Recovery Alert - Green Jobs in Navajo Nation

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In this edition you'll learn about an exciting green jobs victory in Indian Country on Tuesday, an update on prevailing wages for weatherization projects, details about state-level implementation of two key Recovery programs, $3 billion in direct payments for renewable energy projects, and a webcast next Wednesday on economic analysis for renewable energy.


1. NEWS: Navajo Nation Passes Historic Green Jobs Bill
On Tuesday the Navajo Nation Council voted to create a Navajo Green Economy Commission! This is a major step towards creating hundreds of jobs on the Navajo Nation. Green For All is proud to have provided technical support for this effort. Read the press release from The Navajo Green Economy Coalition:

http://www.greenforall.org/blog/navajobill


2. NEWS: Update on Weatherization Prevailing Wage Determinations
Department of Energy Weatherization and Intergovernmental Program Manager Gil Sperling just sent an important notice to weatherization agencies about Davis-Bacon Act wage provisions of the Recovery Act. According to the notice:

• DOL will be establishing a "weatherization worker" labor category under the Davis-Bacon Act and issuing prevailing wages for that category.
• All weatherization agencies must promptly complete a survey about locally prevailing wages for weatherization work.
• After all surveys are completed, the DOL will make standard prevailing wage determinations - likely by mid to late August.
• In the meantime, local agencies may use Recovery Act funds to begin weatherizing homes as long as they pay at LEAST the wage level of another DOL classification most similar to the work performed. See wage levels here - http://wwww.wdol.gov/index.aspx.
• Agencies will not be penalized if they pay lower than the eventual wage. If the DOL prevailing wage determinations are higher than what they pay, agencies will be required to retroactively adjust compensation for Recovery Act fund payments.

3. RESOURCE: State-level Implementation of EECBG and SEP Programs
On July 15, the California Energy Commission's (CEC) Ad Hoc Committee on ARRA conducted a workshop on the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program and State Energy Program (SEP). The workshop covered the status, schedule, and proposed funding areas of EECBG and SEP.

Full overview of the 7/15 workshop: http://docs.google.com/View?id=dn9khn8_18frnxq9f4
CEC presentation from the workshop: http://www.energy.ca.gov/stimulus/documents/

If you live in California, the Committee is seeking public and stakeholder input on developing guidelines for both programs. Public comments on EECBG guidelines are due 7/24.  Workshops on SEP guidelines are being held 7/28 to 7/31 and public comments on the guidelines are due 8/5. 

4. NEWS: $3 Billion in Grants Available for Renewable Energy Projects
Instead of tax credits, the Treasury and Energy Departments recently announced $3 billion in direct payment opportunities for renewable energy projects. They also provided guidance to help businesses submit a successful application. All projects that meet the criteria and guidelines are entitled to this money; the funds are by formula, not competitive grants and are expected to be disbursed by October 1st.

You must have a project underway, not just an idea, to be eligible for these funds. According to the Treasury Department's website, "applications may only be submitted after the property to which the application relates is placed in service, or is under construction." See guidance on these funds, terms and conditions, and a sample application:

http://www.treas.gov/recovery/1603.shtml


5. RESOURCE: July 29 Webcast - "How to Estimate Economic Impacts from Renewable Energy"
State and local officials are invited to attend a free webcast, hosted by the Department of Energy, on how to use the "JEDI" tool to estimate the economic impacts from electric power projects, including renewable energy generation. Attendees will see a recent example of an analysis performed by presenters from the DOE National Renewable Energy Laboratory using the JEDI Wind Model.

WHAT: Estimating Economic Impacts from Renewable Energy Webcast
WHEN: July 29 3-4:15pm ET
TO REGISTER: http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/wip/tap_webcasts.cfm

Stay tuned in the coming weeks for "Green Recovery For All", a series of reports to help you unpack the Recovery Act in new ways.