Solicitation for Grant Applications to Develop CHP Projects in Pennsylvania

From the EPA CHP Partnership:

The EPA CHP Partnership is informing its Partners of an important funding opportunity. The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection has issued grant solicitations designed for the purchase and installation of renewable energy and energy efficiency equipment, including CHP. The grant program is called Pennsylvania Green Energy Works.

Applications are due by 4:00 P.M. EDT on October 9, 2009.

A collective total of up to $52 million will be available under four Pennsylvania Green Energy Works solicitations with $11 million allocated for CHP. All funding for this program is Federal funding appropriated by The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Projects must comply with the following in order to be funded:

• All projects must be physically located in Pennsylvania.
  
• The project must result in the creation or retention of part-time or full-time temporary or permanent jobs.
  
• The application must contain letters supporting the financial commitment for at least 25 percent of the cost of the project. These letters of commitment must be from both the applicant and any outside sources of funding, including clear documentation of amounts from each source. Monies "applied for" from other sources may not be included. Other DEP program funds cannot be used to comply with the project match.

For more information on the solicitation, including eligible projects, instructions for how to apply, and application evaluation considerations, visit the Pennsylvania Green Energy Works CHP Solicitation.

Manufacturers leading early stages of recovery

The Associated Press published an article yesterday about the gains in industrial production seen in August, yet another sign of the road to recovery. Here's one snippet:

In part, the improvement reflected auto sales that were boosted by the government's now-ended Cash for Clunkers program. But analysts were impressed that output rose broadly across industries.

"Vehicles are not the whole story," Nigel Gault, chief U.S. economist at IHS Global Insight, said in a note to clients.

Gault noted that production rose in five out of 10 categories of durable goods, including machinery and electrical equipment.

Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit - Applications Due September 16, 2009

From the DOE office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy:

Through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the Department of Treasury is awarding $2.3 billion in tax credits for qualified investments in advanced energy projects to support new, expanded, or re-equipped domestic manufacturing facilities. The Advanced Energy Manufacturing Tax Credit will help secure American leadership in the clean energy sector by supporting the larger goals of the Recovery Act to stimulate economic growth, create jobs, and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will review applications and make determinations on eligibility and merit. The application period opens August 14, 2009. Preliminary applications are due September 16, 2009, followed by final applications due to DOE and the IRS October 16, 2009.

Eligible projects include:

• Technologies that create energy from renewable resources
• Energy storage technologies
• Advanced transmission technologies that support renewable generation
• Renewable fuel refining
• Energy conservation technologies
• Plug-in electric vehicles and components
• Property to capture and sequester carbon dioxide emissions, and to reduce GHG emissions.

Successful applicants will receive acceptance agreements from the IRS by April 16, 2010. Projects must be completed within 4 years of acceptance. Credits will cover future expenses and will not award past investment(s).

Read the DOE press release to learn more. Make sure to look in the right column for application forms and contact information.

Visit ITP's solicitations page for information on other financial opportunities.

American factories growing

American manufacturing facilities are expanding production for the first time in over a year and a half, according to the Institute for Supply Management (ISM). The ISM's manufacturing index broke 50 for the first time since January 2008, coming in at 52.9.

The ISM index is a key measure of US manufacturing. Any number below 50 means the economy is contracting, and any number over 50 means it's expanding.

This is a significant stepping stone of the path to recovery because it means that manufacturers have burned down as much of their inventory as they feel comfortable with and are launching new purchase orders. This, in turn, should lead to the creation of more jobs.