Dataset of the Day: Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG)

Included in the recent stimulus package is $3.2 billion for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG). Administered through the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), grant money will be allocated to state and local governments to reduce energy use and fossil fuel emissions. Below is a list of activities eligible for the grant money:

• Development of an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy and Technical Consultant Services to assist in the development of such a strategy.
• Residential and Commercial Building Energy Audits.
• Financial Incentive Programs and Mechanisms for energy efficiency improvements such as energy savings performance contracting, on-bill financing, and revolving loan funds.
• Grants to nonprofit organizations and governmental agencies for the purpose of performing Energy Efficiency Retrofits.
• Energy Efficiency and Conservation Programs for Buildings and Facilities.
• Development and Implementation of Transportation Programs to conserve energy.
• Building Codes and Inspections to promote building energy efficiency.
• Energy Distribution Technologies that significantly increase energy efficiency, including distributed resources, combined heat and power, and district heating and cooling systems.
• Material Conservation Programs including source reduction, recycling, and recycled content procurement programs that lead to increases in energy efficiency.
• Reduction and Capture of Methane and Greenhouse Gases generated by landfills or similar waste-related sources.
• Energy efficient Traffic Signals and Street Lighting.
• Renewable Energy Technologies on Government Buildings.
• Any Other Appropriate Activity that meets the purposes of the program and is approved by DOE.

Included in eligible activities are transportation projects, including bicycle and pedestrian projects that reduce energy use and emissions.

To view this map in Maker! click here.

The map above shows the local EECB Grant amounts awarded aggregated to the county level (local grants may be to cities or counties). The tan colored counties have not received any grant money. Also on the map are the cities with US cities with the most bike commuters, shown by percent of the commuters that bikes. These cities seem to clearly be in areas with more counties receiving federal money. This may be because eligibility for the grants is determined by population size and larger urban areas tend to have more bike commuters. It will be interesting to see if some of the areas receiving large amounts of money but with less bikers will show up on future lists of cities with the most bike commuters.

The next map shows the same local EECB Grant amounts awarded aggregated to the state level and normalized by population (this does not include the amount allocated directly to state governments). The southwest and northeast regions of the US seem to be receiving the largest amounts per person.

Take a look at the data yourself in Finder! and Maker!. There are various versions showing both county/city grant allocations and state grant allocations.