Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program (EECBG)

In 2010, Cumberland County received Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program (EECBG) from the Federal Department of Energy. The $600,400 received by Cumberland County has been allocated to pay for energy retrofits for county buildings, energy-related planning & education, and a new bus service that will serve the Lakes Region. The projects are expected to continute through 2012.

The funds include:

• $468,000 Facilities Retrofits

• $17,000 Feasibility study for biomass cogeneration facility at the jail
  campus
  

• $50,000 Upgrade new Lakes Region bus service vehicles to hybrid

• $46,000 Fund a Regional Energy & Climate Plan
  

• $14,000 Fund Bike Coalition of Maine to recruit and train volunteer
  bike educators
  

• $7,000 Audit of County Buildings
  

• $5,000 Administration
  

The largest ten counties in the state were supposed to get these funds as part of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act, but Maine and some other New England states were initially omitted. Cumberland County Grants & Special Projects noticed the omission and initiated a successful appeal. As a result, the ten largest counties in Maine received a total of over $3.5 million dollars in addition to the funds that were planned to be awarded to the state of Maine and the ten largest municipalities!

• Energy Handbook: A Resource for Municipalities on Energy Efficiency and Sustainable Energy

The Cumberland County Climate and Energy Plan was approved by the commissioners in December 2012, and Sustain Southern Maine and GPCOG are planning to do a cost-benefit analysis of the recommendations in the plan in the first quarter of 2013.

For more information, contact Elizabeth Trice, Grants & Special Projects Coordinator at 207-871-8380.