State of Ohio American Recovery and Reinvestment Act What's New

Columbus, Ohio – The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) has been named the recipient of two American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Labor Market Information (LMI) Improvement grants aimed at building a skilled workforce for "green jobs" in Ohio.

"This is a tremendous opportunity for Ohio and Ohioans," said ODJFS Director Douglas Lumpkin. "The energy efficiency and renewable energy industries hold a great deal of promise for Ohio, and for Ohioans willing to pursue new career paths. These industries will be with us for some time. All they need is a skilled workforce, and we can provide them with that."

ODJFS will partner with the Governor's Workforce Policy Advisory Board, the Ohio Board of Regents and the University System of Ohio on the first grant, which will give the state $1 million to identify the skills most needed by green industries, so that curricula and training programs can be developed around those needs. Interested job seekers can then be connected with green jobs-related workforce development services, training providers and job opportunities.

"The University System of Ohio's most important role is to lay the foundation for the state's economic growth, and green jobs are vital to that foundation," said Board of Regents Chancellor Eric Fingerhut. "Today's announcement accelerates our progress toward that goal."

Ohio will share the second grant — a total of $4 million — with Indiana and Michigan, so that all three states can coordinate their efforts to help dislocated auto industry workers pursue new career paths in green industries. Indiana will be identifying the skills that auto industry workers currently have that might also be useful in green industries. Michigan and Ohio will be gathering information from auto industry manufacturers and parts suppliers about their changing business environments and labor force needs. Ohio also will be conducting a "green jobs survey" of Ohio employers, to better identify the number of green jobs available in the state, and the skills required to fill them.

"Career opportunities in green industries are becoming more popular in our state," said Ohio Department of Development Director Lisa Patt-McDaniel. "We are grateful for these funds that will help train job seekers and provide them with the specific skill sets needed to thrive in a 21st century green workplace."

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November 17, 2009 – Latest Combined Ohio EPA and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Water Projects Funded

Columbus, Ohio – An additional $69.3 million has been obligated to fund 38 water quality improvement projects in Ohio using U.S. EPA stimulus funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) along with loans from Ohio EPA. Projects receiving ARRA subsidies are combined with low-interest loans through the Water Supply Revolving Loan Account (WSRLA) for drinking water projects or Water Pollution Control Loan Fund (WPCLF) for water pollution control projects. Listed below are projects now receiving funds through WSRLA:

Athens (Athens County) received a $320,000 ARRA subsidy to combine with a $480,000 interest-free WSRLA loan totaling $800,000 to upgrade the Curtis Street pump station and replace water lines between the pump station and a water tank;
Bellaire (Belmont County) received a $644,000 ARRA subsidy to combine with a $329,291 interest-free loan totaling $973,291 of assistance to replace the Brooks Run water line;
Brewster (Stark County) received a $75,103 ARRA subsidy to combine with a $32,303 interest-free loan totaling $107,406 to extend a water line to Hillview Mobile Home Park;
Cumberland (Guernsey County) received a $1.6 million ARRA subsidy to combine with a $403,713 interest-free loan totaling more than $2 million to install a water line between the Cumberland distribution system and Byesville's, and construct a booster station;
Dresden (Muskingum County) received a $730,232 ARRA subsidy to combine with a $312,957 interest-free loan totaling more than $1 million in assistance to extend waterlines to the unincorporated area of Trinway;
Jackson County Water Company received a $1.1 million ARRA subsidy to combine with a $423,376 interest-free loan totaling more than $1.5 million to construct water lines connecting customers and replace water meters;
Mahoning County received a $319,709 ARRA subsidy to combine with an equal amount in interest-free loan financing totaling $639,418 in assistance to fund the Petersburg water line extension project;
Middleport (Meigs County) received a $2.8 million ARRA subsidy to combine with a $709,127 interest-free loan totaling more than $3.5 million to replace water lines, develop a new well and properly abandon 11 existing wells;
Millersport (Fairfield County) received a $250,000 ARRA subsidy to combine with a $590,447 interest-free loan totaling $840,447 to install a water transmission line to serve the village of Buckeye Lake;
Old Straitsville Water Association (Hocking County) received a $836,000 ARRA subsidy to combine with a $357,647 interest-free loan totaling nearly $1.2 million to extend water lines to the unincorporated areas of Rockbridge and Enterprise;
Powhatan Point (Belmont County) received a $320,000 ARRA subsidy to combine with a $489,801 interest-free loan totaling $809,801 for a water line replacement project to replace old, leaking lines;
Rayland (Jefferson County) received a $506,690 ARRA subsidy to combine with a $217,912 interest-free loan totaling $724,602 to replace water lines. The project will address low chlorine residual issues and constriction problems of the 1940 vintage water lines;
Roseville (Muskingum and Perry counties) received a $280,000 ARRA subsidy to combine with a $86,721 interest-free loan totaling $366,721 to upgrade its existing water treatment plant;
Shawnee (Perry County) received a $309,598 ARRA subsidy to combine with a $78,688 interest-free loan totaling $388,286 to replace water lines and a booster station;
Sidney (Shelby County) Project one — received a $253,375 ARRA subsidy to combine with a $314,160 interest-free loan totaling $567,535 to extend a water line to serve the Northbrook Mobile Home Park; Project two — received a $2.9 million ARRA subsidy to combine with a $4.4 million interest-free loan totaling $7.3 million to improve the water treatment plant and add system-wide radio-read water meters;
Tri-County Water and Sewer District (Noble, Washington and Morgan counties) received a $450,615 ARRA subsidy to combine with a $111,076 interest-free loan totaling $561,691 to extend water lines to Lightner Ridge and Ellis Roads;
Zanesville (Muskingum County) Project one — received a $4.5 million ARRA subsidy to combine with a $5 million interest-free loan totaling $9.5 million to construct a new 10-million gallon a day water treatment plant to replace the current failing system that does not meet regulatory requirements; and Project two — awarded a $432,350 ARRA subsidy to combine with a $432,586 interest-free loan totaling $864,936 to replace water lines on Wayne Avenue.

Projects receiving ARRA subsidies combined with low-interest loans include the following WPCLF projects:

Ayersville Water and Sewer District (Defiance County) received a $3 million ARRA subsidy with no loan repayment under a WPCLF loan to construct sewers immediately south of Defiance, to connect homes with failing on-lot wastewater treatment systems now discharging into tributaries to both the Auglaize and Maumee Rivers;
Aurora (Portage County) received a $95,000 ARRA subsidy to combine with a $191,348 low-interest loan totaling $286,348 to abandon Sunny Lake's Boathouse Wastewater Treatment Plant and connect the park to Aurora's sanitary sewer system;
Bradner (Wood County) received a $117,429 ARRA subsidy to combine with a $27,069 interest-free loan totaling $144,498 to install solar-powered electric wastewater circulators at the village's wastewater treatment plant;
Butler County received an $850,000 ARRA subsidy to combine with a $918,503 low-interest loan totaling nearly $1.8 million to fund improvements at the LeSourdsville Water Reclamation Facility, to maintain and improve treatment capacity and protect water quality in the Great Miami River;
Coal Grove (Lawrence County) received a $361,124 ARRA subsidy to combine with a $90,596 interest-free loan totaling $451,720 to replace a well, raw water aerator, fire hydrants and gate valves at the water distribution system;
Columbus (Franklin County) received a $263,183 ARRA subsidy with no loan repayment under a water pollution control loan to add improvements to the Jackson Pike Wastewater Treatment Plant;
Creston (Wayne County) received a $163,025 ARRA subsidy to combine with a $247,377 interest-free loan totaling $410,402 to replace a pump station and extend sewers to a new elementary and middle school, and add the high school;
Edon (Williams County) received a $4,615 ARRA subsidy with no loan repayment under a water pollution control loan to excavate and rehabilitate manholes in order to eliminate illegal discharges into Bear Creek;
Gahanna (Franklin County) received a $45,000 ARRA subsidy to combine with a $45,000 interest-free loan to assist with a $2.2 million project (the remaining costs will be provided through local funds). After the city constructs a one-acre storm water detention basin, funding will be applied to excavate the floodplain and install a riffle and pool sequence for an unnamed tributary of Sycamore Run, reducing sediment loads from area subdivisions during storm events;
Lynchburg (Highland County) received a $1.6 million ARRA subsidy to combine with a nearly $1.4 million interest-free loan totaling nearly $3 million to improve the area's wastewater treatment plant to double treatment capacity and allow Lynchburg to treat wastewater from unincorporated areas nearby;
Marshallville (Wayne County) received a $1.2 million ARRA subsidy to combine with a $711,048 interest-free loan totaling more than $1.9 million to build a new aeration plant replacing a lagoon system at the wastewater treatment plant;
Ney (Defiance County) received a $2.2 million ARRA subsidy to combine with a $432,026 interest-free loan totaling nearly $2.7 million to install a new lagoon wastewater treatment system to be located north of the village;
North Canton (Stark County) received a $212,500 ARRA subsidy to combine with a $236,540 low-interest loan totaling $449,040 to improve sewer function by relining the Portage and West Park Street sanitary sewers;
Payne (Paulding County) received a $906,675 ARRA subsidy to combine with a $312,270 interest-free loan totaling more than $1.2 million to modify an interceptor, pump station and equalization basin to reduce sewer overflows;
Pitsburg (Darke County) received a $2.3 million ARRA subsidy to combine with a $1.9 million interest-free loan totaling $4.2 million to construct a new wastewater treatment plant, collection system, pump station and force main;
Portsmouth (Scioto County) received a $2.8 million ARRA subsidy to combine with a $2 million low-interest loan totaling $4.8 million to pay for improvements to the Lawson Run wastewater treatment plant;
Rocky River (Cuyahoga County) received a $442,500 ARRA subsidy with no loan repayment under a water pollution control loan to separate inverted sewers to eliminate wet weather basement flooding on a section of Elmwood Road;
Sherwood (Defiance County) received a $240,391 ARRA subsidy with no loan repayment under a water pollution control loan to improve the Sherwood wastewater treatment plant;
Williamsburg (Clermont County) received a $200,000 ARRA subsidy to combine with an equal interest-free loan totaling $400,000 to improve its wastewater treatment plant;
Woodsfield (Monroe County) received a $103,113 ARRA subsidy to combine with a $194,278 interest-free loan totaling $297,391 to replace an existing cast iron water line on Eastern Avenue and connect existing water lines on Moose Road extension; and
Zanesville (Muskingum County) received a $155,926 ARRA subsidy to combine with an equal amount as a low-interest loan totaling $311,852 to fund a backwash water force main at the city's water treatment plant. The project will also connect the Eastpointe Business Park to the force main and pump station.

ARRA funding will support 267 water pollution control projects in 160 communities and 65 drinking water projects in 52 communities in Ohio. For additional information on the federal program, please visit www.epa.gov/recovery/, or see Ohio Water Pollution Control Projects and Ohio Drinking Water Projects.

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November 9, 2009 – Rural Ohio Businesses Receive Over $13.6 Million in Federal Loan Guarantees

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has announced $71.7 million in loan guarantees to assist 20 rural businesses in funding made available by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. In Ohio, National City Bank/PNC of Columbus received a $7,500,000 loan guarantee to assist rural businesses, and The Park National Bank, also of Columbus, received a $6,129,700 loan guarantee. Among other projects, the loan guarantees will help provide business services to more than 50,000 livestock farmers in Ohio, Kentucky, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri, and help maintain health insurance to employees of a farmer-owned cooperative, many of whom live in counties with unemployment rates 125 percent greater than the national average, and counties that have been affected recently by natural disasters.

November 9, 2009 – Ohio Business Authorized to Issue $20 Million in Clean Renewable Energy Bonds for Hydropower Project

Columbus, Ohio – American Municipal Power, Inc., of Gallipolis, Ohio, has been authorized to issue up to $20 million in Clean Renewable Energy Bonds (CREBs) by the U.S. Department of Treasury as part of the Obama Administration's efforts to spur renewable energy production. Funded in part by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the bonds help companies obtain lower cost financing for clean energy development projects. The bonds function as tax credit bonds which allow investors to receive federal tax credits in lieu of the payment of a portion of the interest on the bond. For CREBs, the federal tax credits will cover 70 percent of the interest on the bonds.

November 6, 2009 – Department of Natural Resources Division of Geological Survey to Play Key Role in Geothermal Energy Exploration

Columbus, Ohio – The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Geological Survey will join a coalition of 40 state geological surveys in a national search for renewable geothermal energy.

On October 29, U.S. Department of Energy Secretary Stephen Chu announced awards totaling $338 million for geothermal energy exploration across the country, including the population of a comprehensive geothermal resource data system by state geological surveys to help identify and assess new fields of geothermal technology.

The Association of American State Geologists (AASG) organized a coalition of 40 state geological surveys, including Ohio's, to populate a new National Geothermal Data System with relevant state-specific geothermal data. The project will receive $17.79 million from the Department of Energy (DOE) over three years and includes the U.S. Geological Survey, Microsoft Research, and Energistics, Inc., a petroleum industry consortium, as partners.

As a member of the geothermal coalition, the ODNR Division of Geological Survey will be collecting data from across the state that will aid industry in the identification and development of geothermal energy and integrating the data into the National Geothermal Data System.

"New low-temperature technologies now make geothermal power generation in Ohio plausible, but more research is needed," said Senior Geologist Erik Venteris. "It's exciting to be part of this national effort among all the state geological surveys to address such a critical energy need for the state and the country."

Compiling state-specific geothermal data in an integrated, distributed and searchable data system should drive renewed efforts to identify, assess and utilize geothermal energy resources across the United States. The national collaboration of state and federal agencies, universities and industry has the potential to reshape the country's energy landscape, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and leverage non-renewable petroleum resources well into the twenty-first century.

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November 6, 2009 – Federal Stimulus Funding Breathes New Life Into Statewide Affordable Housing Initiatives

Columbus, Ohio – Funding made possible through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) will support the creation of over 750 units of new affordable housing in 17 Ohio communities. More than $19 million from the Tax Credit Assistance Program (TCAP) and Tax Credit Exchange (TCE), created in the ARRA, was recently awarded by the Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA) to the following:

Englewood Senior Housing is approved to receive $3 million in TCAP funds and $429,085 from the TCE to construct 38 affordable housing units in Toledo, Lucas County.
Forest Square Senior Apartments will be awarded $1 million in TCAP funding and $248,566 from the TCE to develop 21 units of affordable housing in Cincinnati, Hamilton County.
Frontier Run will benefit from $511,396 in TCE financing to rehabilitate 16 units of affordable housing in Convoy, Van Wert County.
Honeybrook Greene will be allocated $1,449,170 in TCAP financing to construct 36 affordable housing units in Utica, Licking County.
Jeremy Park is approved to receive $1,354,998 in TCE funding to make 36 units of affordable housing available in Orwell, Ashtabula County.
Joshua Landing will be awarded $982,513 in TCE financing to rehabilitate 40 units of affordable housing in Minford, Scioto County.
Mallory Meadows will benefit from $408,411 in TCE funds to develop 24 affordable housing units in Dunkirk, Hardin County.
Moccasin Run will be allocated $730,675 in TCE funding to make 36 units of affordable housing available in Galion, Crawford County.
Seton Square Dover II is approved to receive $258,931 through the TCE to rehabilitate 90 units of affordable housing in Dover, Tuscarawas County.
Seton Square East will be awarded $515,633 in TCE funds to develop100 affordable housing units in Reynoldsburg, Franklin County.
Seton Square Kenton will benefit from $220,379 in TCE financing for the rehabilitation of 50 units of affordable housing in Kenton, Hardin County.
Seton Square Lancaster will be allocated $228,566 in TCE funding to make 33 units of affordable housing available in Lancaster, Fairfield County.
Seton Square Marion is approved to receive $1,067,603 through the TCE to develop 102 units of affordable housing in Marion, Marion County.
Seton Square Wellston will be awarded $619,975 in TCE funds for the rehabilitation of 48 affordable housing units in Wellston, Jackson County.
Seton Square Zanesville will benefit from $487,185 of financing through the TCE to make 45 units of affordable housing available in Zanesville, Muskingum County.
Ursula Park will be allocated $311,097 in TCE financing to develop 36 units of affordable housing in Blanchester, Clinton County.
The Village at New Seasons is approved to receive $3,375,000 in TCAP funding and $1,970,272 from the TCE to construct 50 affordable housing units in Akron, Summit County.

OHFA was given $83 million through the TCAP to award low-interest loans or grants to developers who are experiencing lower returns on the sale of Housing Tax Credits due to current economic conditions and are therefore unable to raise the necessary capital to begin construction. TCAP funds give developers access to the financing they need in order to complete the proposed housing development.

Through the TCE program, OHFA is able to convert a portion of the Agency's annual share of federal Housing Tax Credits into grant dollars offering greater financial support to developers who have found securing investors for the tax credits increasingly difficult. The additional monetary assistance allows developers to begin construction, establishing affordable housing options and stimulating the economy throughout the state.

The Agency was approved to award this funding in late May and began accepting applications from developers on June 15. Additional awards will be announced periodically during the next several months and posted to www.ohiohome.org.

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November 3, 2009 – Ohio Industrial Energy Efficiency Projects Receive More Than $30 Million in ARRA Awards

Ohio to Benefit from Geothermal Work Awards in Separate Funding Program

Columbus, Ohio – Ohio Governor Ted Strickland today applauded three Ohio industrial energy efficiency projects that received more than $30 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding from the U.S. Department of Energy, including the Ohio Energy Office, which was awarded funding to provide energy efficiency assistance to manufacturers across the state.

"By investing in energy efficient technologies, we enable Ohio businesses to save money and strengthen Ohio's position as a global clean energy leader," Strickland said. "The state plays a key role in ensuring our manufacturers have the resources and support they need to incorporate energy efficient practices into their business plans. We are grateful to the Obama administration and Ohio's congressional delegation for supporting the Recovery Act."

The projects were part of more than $155 million in funding announcements under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to 41 industrial energy efficiency projects across the country. The awards include funding for industrial combined heat and power systems, district energy systems for industrial facilities, and grants to support technical and financial assistance to local industries.

The Ohio projects include:

The Ohio Energy Office, within the Ohio Department of Development, was awarded $349,977 to integrate state and federal programs under the Ohio Center for Industrial Energy Efficiency and continue to work with partners to provide energy efficiency assistance to manufacturers across the state. Ohio will also develop the infrastructure needed to deliver Save Energy Now products and services in a cost effective manner to Ohio companies. Ohio will market Save Energy Now assessments, energy efficiency products and services, and state-based support through presentations at trade association meetings, direct contact with manufacturers, and by partnering with participating utilities.
Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., in Middletown, was awarded $30 million for its Waste Energy Project at the AK Steel Corporation Middletown Works. The project will construct a combined cycle power generation plant at the Middletown works of AK Steel that will capture and process the blast furnace gas (BFG). The BFG, generated in ironmaking operations, is either flared or used to make steam needed for industrial processes. Currently, more than 50 percent of the BFG is flared. This project will utilize the waste gas which would otherwise be flared, generating more than 100 megawatts of power and saving an estimated 2.7 trillion British Thermal Units (a measure of thermal energy) annually.
The University of Dayton received $140,000 to be designated as an Industrial Assessment Center, which will provide eligible small and medium-sized manufacturers with no-cost energy assessments and serve as a training ground for the next generation of energy-savvy engineers.

Ohio will also benefit from U.S. Department of Energy funding announced last week to explore and develop new geothermal fields and research into advanced geothermal technologies. These projects are part of $338 million in Recovery Act funding that will support 123 projects in 39 states.

Wright State University, in Dayton, was awarded $232,596 for a ground source head pump demonstration project. Wright State University will create a modeling decision tool that provides more detailed loop sizing, performance, and cost information than is currently available.
The Ohio Division of Geological Survey will collaborate with 40 other states as part of a more-than $17 million project, led by Arizona State Geological Survey, to populate the National Geothermal Data System with relevant state specific geothermal data.

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