Arkansas News Bureau
LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas is due $34 million of the federal stimulus to support renewable and efficient energy projects in the state, the U.S. Department of Energy announced Monday.
Arkansas will receive $19 million for its weatherization program and $15.7 million for its State Energy Program.
The Weatherization Assistance Program, to which these and other funds will be used once the state meets other requirements under the stimulus guidelines, will help to “weatherize” more than 6,000 homes in Arkansas over the next three years, officials said.
Joe Holmes, spokesman for the Arkansas Economic Development Commission, said the state has submitted 13 programs to the DOE, and these funds were released upon their approval. Additional funds will be released once the state meets three broad requirements of the stimulus program. Those requirements are job creation, 50 percent of the total funds obligated and following proper reporting procedures.
Details of the remaining requirements are yet to be determined, Holmes said.
Under the State Energy Program, Arkansas proposed a statewide plan that prioritizes energy savings, creates or retains jobs, increases the use of renewable energy and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
“Today’s investments will save money for hard-working families, reduce pollution, strengthen local economies and help move America toward a clean energy future,” Chu said in a release.
