Events and Opportunities

Events and Webinars 

During this webinar, attendees will learn how to use EPA tools and resources to help meet requirements for green building rating systems such as the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), the Green Globes system, and others.

This EPA webinar will discuss innovative energy conservation measures at wastewater treatment facilities. Improving energy efficiency is an ongoing challenge for water sector utilities. While energy costs often represent 25 to 30 percent of a plant's total operation and maintenance costs, they also represent the largest controllable cost of providing water and wastewater services. One key step for wastewater utilities to take to become more energy efficient is to evaluate and adopt innovative measures to conserve energy and move toward energy self-sufficiency.

The first part of this webcast will focus on energy conservation and self-sufficiency. The second part of the webcast will focus on the successful implementation of the various measures and energy recovery at the Sheboygan Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant in Wisconsin.

In May and June, EPA's Local Government Climate and Energy Program will host a three-part webcast series about funding and financing clean energy programs.

• May 16, 2:00-3:30 PM (EDT) Part I: Getting Started: Answering Big Picture Funding Questions
  Many local governments are investing in clean energy programs to meet their energy, environmental, and economic policy goals. In this post-ARRA world, they're also asking how they should fund these clean energy programs. This introductory webinar will cover the big picture questions that local governments should consider. What resources are available? What are the program priorities? How can these programs pay for themselves? What funding is available? This webinar will guide local governments through these and other questions in the context of their own unique circumstances and illustrate the concepts through case studies that explore how local governments have used both conventional and unconventional methods to gain support, line up partners, and design and implement their funding programs.
• May 30, 2:00-3:30 PM (EDT) Part II: Getting it Funded: Finding Funding for your Clean Energy Programs
  Part II of this webinar series explores the holy grail of local government program design: finding sources of funding. This fast-paced presentation will cover seed funding versus sustainable funding, funding that can be used up versus what must be repaid, sources of revenue, and more. Local government case studies will demonstrate how to identify and understand the sources of funding, including grants, energy savings, partnering with the private sector, fees and taxes, leasing agreements, and bonds.
• June 13, 2:00-3:30 PM (EDT) Part III: Keeping it Going: Financing Options for your Clean Energy Programs
  It's one thing to secure initial funding to launch a clean energy program; it's another to implement smart financing mechanisms that can help leverage existing funds and make clean energy investments more affordable for clean energy program audiences (residential, commercial, and municipal sectors). In Part III of this webinar series, learn how to choose and implement financing options that meet local needs. Hear from local governments about successful programs using a variety of financing models. Also learn about new resources from EPA that can help identify and design financing programs that are specific to a community's needs: the Financing Program Decision Tool (http://go.usa.gov/VRl), and Clean Energy Financing Programs: A Decision Resource for States and Communities (http://go.usa.gov/VRi).

The Urban Sustainability Leadership Academy (USLA) is a peer-learning and training program specifically designed to help sustainability directors and managers in local governments throughout North America strengthen their efforts to catalyze, lead and manage sustainability offices, programs and initiatives. This USLA workshop will bring together 30-40 senior local government sustainability directors and managers for an intensive peer-learning and training experience focused on high-priority challenges such as building relationships and trust; integrating across disciplines and collaborating across sectors; making the case to internal and external stakeholders; and financing and sustaining sustainability.
Registration, travel, lodging and most meals will be provided.

Interested senior local government sustainability directors and managers should submit online applications -- due by Wednesday April 11th.

In this webinar, the author of Next Generation Broadband: Cornerstone Infrastructure for 21st-Century Brownfields Redevelopment, Tillman Lay, will discuss the report, which focuses on the many benefits of next-generation broadband and how those benefits can be leveraged to make brownfield redevelopment projects—and the communities where they exist—more successful. Additionally, Andrew Bracker from the Kansas City Brownfields Office will offer a local government’s perspective on Google’s work installing next-generation broadband throughout the city.  The webinar is hosted by the Brownfield Communities Network.

The Summit is an opportunity to network with fellow state and local leaders and decision-makers in a forum showcasing how the Better Buildings Challenge Partners are achieving the benefits of energy efficiency in public buildings and within local communities.  Participants will learn innovative strategies and models for adopting and implementing clean energy solutions in their communities that save money, create jobs, increase energy security and protect the environment. 

Topics of conference sessions will include:

• Making the business case for increasing the energy efficiency in buildings
• Designing the critical elements of a successful program based on models from existing Better Buildings Challenge Partners and other effective programs
  • Driving Demand for Energy Efficiency Projects
  • Financing Options
  • Policy Development and Adoption
  • Managing Data for Results
  • Leveraging Partnerships and Stakeholder Relationships
• Implementing a program to successfully achieve the goal!

To register for the Summit, please visit the conference registration page or email Jessica.Balsam@ee.doe.gov. 

Greater & Greener: Re-Imagining Parks for 21st Century Cities is an international urban parks conference that aims to increase awareness of the positive impact that parks and green spaces have on our urban communities and explore how urban parks will be designed, developed, programmed, funded and sustained to meet future demands.

Presented by City Parks Alliance, the Greater & Greener conference is the premier forum for park innovation, offering forward-looking topics and speakers, interactive in-the-field workshops and tours, a volunteer service project and an audience of urban park planning, and design professionals, advocates and supporters from around the world.

Opportunities

Applications due: May 21

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is seeking grant applicants for the 2012 Farmers Market Promotion Program.  Approximately $10 million is available for marketing operations such as farmers markets, community supported agriculture and road-side stands. The grants are administered by USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS). The grants aim to increase the availability of local agricultural products in communities throughout the county. They will also help strengthen farmer-to-consumer marketing efforts.

Applications will only be accepted via www.grants.gov and must be received by May 21, 2012. Applications that are incomplete, hand-delivered, or sent via U.S. mail will not be considered. Applicants should start the grants.gov registration process as soon as possible to meet the deadline. Contact Carmen Humphrey, Program Manager, by phone: (202) 720-8317, or e-mail: usdafmppquestions@ams.usda.gov for more information.

Application due: May 23

EPA is kicking off the 2012 ENERGY STAR National Building Competition: Battle of the Buildings! The competition offers commercial building owners and managers a platform to achieve real energy, water, and cost savings and be nationally recognized for their efforts.

During the contest, commercial buildings from across the nation will compete in a head-to-head battle to see who can reduce energy waste the most. Competitors will have the opportunity to participate in monthly networking sessions, use free competition creative materials and logos, and be listed on the competition website. EPA will also promote the competition through traditional and social media.

Proposal due: June 4

EPA’s National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program awards competitive grants to fund projects that reduce emissions from existing diesel engines through a variety of strategies. These strategies include, but are not limited to, emission control and idle reduction technologies; cleaner fuels; engine upgrades or replacements; and/or vehicle or equipment replacements. Under this grant program, funding is restricted to the use of technologies, fuels, and engines that have been verified or certified by EPA or California Air Resources Board (CARB).

Letter of Intent due: May 18; Proposals due June 15

The Farm to School Grant Program is part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which authorized and funded USDA to assist eligible entities, through grants and technical assistance, in implementing farm to school programs that improve access to local foods in eligible schools.  The USDA Food & Nutrition Service (FNS) is charged with implementing the farm to school program.  The new investments will assist schools in procuring food from local producers. Farm to school initiatives can also include agriculture and nutrition education efforts such as school gardens, field trips to local farms, and cooking classes.  In this first funding cycle, FNS anticipates awarding up to $3.5 million in grant funding to support efforts that improve access to local foods in eligible schools.

Grant funds will be made available on a competitive basis, subject to availability of Federal funds. Applicants are encouraged to first submit a Letter of Intent and then apply for either a Planning Grant or an Implementation Grant. Planning grants are expected to range from $20,000 - $45,000 and represent approximately 25 percent of the total awards. Implementation grants are expected to range from $65,000 - $100,000 and represent approximately 75 percent of the total awards. For both types of grants, the applicant must provide at least 25 percent of the costs of the grant project as the Federal share of costs for this grant cannot exceed 75 percent of the total cost of the project, as required by the HHFKA.

Application due: June 18

The Department of Energy’s, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is seeking applications that address and assist in reducing multiple barriers to alternative fuel vehicle adoption and use. Overall, this Funding Opportunity Announcement, issued on behalf of EERE by the National Energy Technology Laboratory, aims to decrease the nation’s dependence on petroleum and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by accelerating the deployment of alternative fuels. The expanded use of alternative fuel vehicles and domestically produced alternative transportation fuels can create and retain jobs, stimulate and support domestic economies, and help protect the environment. The Clean Cities program has identified the following four critical areas that provide significant obstacles to alternative fuel vehicle use: 1) Polices, 2) Barrier Reduction, 3) Safety and Training, and 4)Market Development/Outreach. The U.S. Department of Energy's Clean Cities program wishes to fund projects that target and remedy these specific obstacles to alternative fuel vehicle adoption and use in local, regional and/or statewide sectors and niche markets.

Application Due: Varies by program year
Eligible Applications: Agencies that administer the WAP program

DOE requests proposals for the Weatherization Assistance Program Formula Grant. The purpose of WAP is to increase the energy efficiency of dwellings owned or occupied by low-income persons, reduce residential expenditures, and improve health and safety. Lead applicants must be agencies that administer the WAP program. Proposals due date varies by prime applicant’s program year. Grantees will be notified as soon as an update on FY 2011 funding becomes available. For planning purposes, until a final budget is passed and signed by the President, grantees should proceed with their respective plans using the same funding level as the DOE 2010 appropriated funds. For more info, contact Meghaan Hampton at Meghaan.Hampton@netl.doe.gov.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced a new $4 million EPA-funded initiative providing financial and technical assistance to local governments needing to reduce water pollution to help restore the Chesapeake Bay.   As local governments work to implement the Chesapeake Bay TMDL or ‘pollution diet,’ the Local Government Green Infrastructure Initiative will support them by making grants of up to $750,000 available. The grants will be administered by NFWF through the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund, and competitively awarded to local governments to design and implement projects demonstrating the integration of green infrastructure into existing programs to meet community needs and improve local waterways and the Bay. 

Details of the process and application requirements are yet to be released.