WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced that it is awarding up to $10 million over five years to two organizations to help accelerate the adoption of solar energy among local governments. DOE said the selected organizations, the International City-County Management Association (ICMA) and International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives-Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI), will conduct outreach to thousands of local governments across the nation, sharing best practices for increasing solar energy use in their communities.

ICMA and ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability will receive approximately $5 million each and will reach out to local governments nationwide by providing a mix of educational workshops, peer-to-peer sharing opportunities, and national web-based resources. In addition, these two organizations will help local governments overcome technical barriers to solar energy adoption by sharing resources that have been developed through other DOE-sponsored activities, such as the Solar America Cities program.

Through the Solar America Cities program, a partnership effort with 25 U.S. cities, DOE has developed solar energy outreach materials including case studies with lessons learned, a compilation of best practices titled “Solar Powering Your Community: A Guide for Local Governments,” and other resources that cities across the nation can utilize. A key tenet of the Solar America Cities program is the ability to replicate successes by sharing best practices among cities.

For more information on the Solar America Cities program, visit www.solaramericacities.energy.gov.

Publication date:06/07/2010