Jackpot!

Energy Secretary Steven Chu opened his checkbook today, in a big way, doling out $154 million in stimulus cash to support energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in New Hampshire, Missouri, North Carolina, and right here in California. In fact, California took in the lion's shae of that money--more than $90 million.

According to the write-up in eGov Monitor:

"California will leverage its program funding to provide a statewide energy efficiency retrofit program and cost effective clean energy systems for residential, commercial, and industrial buildings and facilities. The revenue savings that result from these efficiency measures will provide an ongoing source of revenue to continue implementing additional cost-effective efficiency measures. Additionally, California plans to develop and implement a public education, marketing, and outreach effort to ensure the benefits and value of energy efficiency are well understood.

Also as part of California’s State Energy Program, the California Energy Commission (Energy Commission) is investing $15 million through June 30, 2012, in building a workforce to meet alternative fuel and advanced vehicle technology needs through its Green Jobs Training Program. The Energy Commission will expand on this plan and will leverage existing partnerships with $20 million in Recovery Act funding to create a more extensive green workforce focused on energy efficiency and clean energy sources, including wind and solar energy.

After demonstrating successful implementation of its plan, the state will receive more than $113 million in additional funding, for a total of $226 million for the entire program."

No word yet on whether legislators in Sacramento have come up with a way to count this cash infusion as "revenue" for budget purposes...

Obama Administration Awards More than $154 Million for State Energy Programs in Four States [eGov Monitor]