The Governor's Energy Office originally requested permission to accept $3.4 million in energy related stimulus money and to hire a staff of 10 to begin managing the grants and monitoring program.
After review by the budget office and Legislative fiscal staff, the staffing request was cut to just three positions for now. But Energy Office Director Hatice Gecol had good news for lawmakers on the issue of money, announcing that federal officials have certified Nevada to receive an additional $13.8 million.
That brings the total American Recovery and Reinvestment Act energy funding thus far to $17,357,000 - half of the total Nevada can apply for over the coming three years. To get the rest, she said her office has to show progress on all of its approved programs.
Lawmakers voted to release the $3.4 million to staff the program. To jump-start that process, Gecol and her staff asked the Interim Finance Committee to release an additional $3.1 million more so they can begin putting out Requests for Proposals to get some of the projects on the list going.
Nevada was authorized to receive the money after presenting plans for seven programs to use the cash. The state seeks $7.9 million to retrofit state buildings with better lighting, windows and other systems to reduce energy consumption.
Another $8.5 million is to be sub-granted to schools to reduce their energy consumption, $1.7 million to install energy efficient LED traffic signals and $9.8 million for a program of revolving loans to businesses and utilities to help fund renewable energy and efficiency projects. Modernizing building codes to encourage better energy efficiency will get $1.35 million and energy engineering, feasibility and environmental studies will be eligible for $5.67 million. Finally, there is $170,250 available for alternative fuel infrastructure to make the use of alternative fuel vehicles practical.
Several lawmakers questioned the lack of detail in what those three new employees will do and how much they should be paid. Officials from the Personnel Department cautioned it will take them 45 days to work out details of those positions but said the governor's office can make emergency appointments in the meantime.
Gecol told the committee she hopes to begin hiring in a couple of weeks.
Lawmakers set the cap on two of the three positions at $93,187 a year and the third, an outreach coordinator, at $84,981.