Big Opportunities for Small Towns

Did you know that small towns in North Carolina may receive up to $13 Million in grants and federal stimulus money? While this may seem like a lot at first, it ends up amounting to just under $20,000, if all funding was dispersed equally. Since the grants are competitive, let’s make certain your town is ready to get as much funding help as they can! And to use it in the most environmental friendly way that they can!

Tonight, I will be traveling to New Bern to discuss how the Energy Efficiency Block Grants (EECBG) will work for small towns. For these grants, a small town is defined as having a population of less than 35,000. Since Eastern NC is chalked full of itty-bitty towns, the Craven County Democrats teamed up with the Cypress Group to ask if I could come explain opportunities from the EECBG Program for small towns and how Cool City New Bern might earn a few more bucks.

You are welcome to join me tonight at the Golden Coral on Martin Luther King Boulevard in New Bern. We will be eating dinner at 5:30 and discussing the EECBG Program at 6:30.

In the meantime, here are some tips to get the ARRA funding optimized in your own town:
a. Start talking with your government leaders—meet with key partners/mayor/city council (they will get a vote!)
i. Reach out to your contact and get that relationship going
ii. Have the conversation—
1. what are they planning on using,
2. what have they have applied for,
3. how do they plan to use it,
4. offer to get or give them the information that they need,
5. and small nudges here and there
a. Consult Sierra Club’s Talking Points for more ideas
b. Play to America’s Entrepreneurial spirit
iii. Ask the large towns to post their EECBG applications online—Winston-Salem did!

Want to learn more about the stimulus money?

Three Upcoming Events: (1.) ARRA Happenings in NC Conference Call; (2.) Economic Recovery Workshop Tour; and (3.) The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: What does it mean for Eastern North Carolina?

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ARRA Happenings in NC Conference Call
April 23, 2008

Learn what federal ARRA stimulus funds are coming to North Carolina and how it is affecting our NC Cool Cities and Counties. This conference call will provide an overview of the American Recovery and Reinvestment (ARRA) monies for NC, weatherization opportunities, and specific Energy Efficiency Block Grant information. We will also discuss potential next steps for Sierra Club.

April 23, 2008
7:00—8:00 p.m.

Before the call: RSVP and email me (kara.craig@sierraclub.org) with questions
At call time: dial 1-866-501-6174; Your conference code # is 1003100.

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Economic Recovery Workshop Tour
April 28, 2009

The N. C. Office of Economic Recovery (OERI) will hold the first of six Economic Recovery Workshops across the state starting April 28th through the month of May.

Tuesday, April 28
1:30 p.m. (2 hr. workshop)
Winston-Salem State University, Dillard Auditorium
Winston-Salem, NC

Five additional workshops will be held during the month of May in the following five cities (in alphabetical order):

Asheville
Charlotte
Greenville
Raleigh
Wilmington

Dates and venues to be announced; for more information contact OERI at ncrecovery.gov

Workshops will feature OERI Director Dempsey Benton and representatives from state government departments administering recovery funds in North Carolina. Governor Perdue will be present to introduce the first of the workshops in Winston-Salem (at Winston-Salem State University, Dillard Auditorium).

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The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act: What does it mean for Eastern North Carolina?
April 27, 2009

Join local Cypress Group members and the Craven County Democrats to learn more about federal stimulus funding for weatherization, energy efficiency, and small town competitive grants. Energy Efficiency funding opportunities are arriving in North Caroline in two ways: direct block grants to towns with a population over 35,000 and smaller funding processes through the State Energy Office to towns with a population under 35,000. We will discuss what this means for New Bern and other towns in the east.

April 27, 2009
5:30-7:30
Golden Coral on Martin Luther King, Blvd., New Bern

You can arrive at 5:30 to join others in the eating dinner in the Conference Room at the Golden Coral, or arrive at 6:30 to hear the presentation.

$208 Million in Weatherization and Energy Efficiency Funding for NC

And the recovery funding starts trickling into North Carolina. Read this Press Release from the US Department of Energy and find more information on our own recovery website.