This grant money was arranged through an opportunity offered as a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (commonly referred to as the Stimulus Bill). A portion of the those funds were directed to the states and set aside for “small cities” to apply for projects that could demonstrate energy savings, or reductions in energy load. With the Council’s direction to look for funds to implement various components of their Sustainability Goals, we saw this grant as a great opportunity to utilize a grant to fund an energy demonstration project. The funds are under the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant category. Funds available to each city were determined by population and unemployment factors. The maximum amount South Lake Tahoe was allowed to apply for was $131,300 so we applied for it all and looked for ideas that would be meaningful to the local community as a demonstration of what a local resident or business owner might want to duplicate if we can show the project did result in significant energy savings. The Energy Commission has visited our City and encouraged us to focus on lighting retrofit because their studies show a real cost savings along with energy load reductions that make a difference. By implementing these ideas, using grant funds, there’s no financial risk to the City to purchase LED and low-wattage lighting, which is more expensive than current lighting costs. We’ll be able to measure the amount of cost savings and if the reductions are a reasonable value compared to the cost, local residents and business owners can duplicate the projects in their own properties with confidence of the cost and benefit. Studies have shown if communities can change lighting, actual reductions in Green House Gases can be achieved. Maybe we can be the first city to get the whole community to go low-wattage lighting, saving money, saving energy, reaching toward the Council’s vision of a Sustainable Future.

As for expanding energy efficient lighting into high-use areas like Stateline, the possibilities are endless, but grant funding opportunities are not. Using grant funds from state or federal sources, rather than local funds, for any project or program right now is something staff in every department are directed to keep an eye on. The issue is often the balancing act of the amount of funding available, the specific projects the funding agency is looking for, and staff availability to complete the complex applications. Additionally, because we are a “rural” small city by designation at the federal and state level, our funding opportunities are fewer than others and we must compete for a grants with all other “small cities.” Competition for grants to fund local projects and programs is higher than it’s ever been since more cities are turning to alternative revenue sources to help bring revenue to the local economy.

Nancy Kerry, South Lake Tahoe Housing and Redevelopment Department