Friday, January 29, 2010, 3:47pm PST | Modified: January 29, 2010, 3:47 PM

Oregon gets federal money for efficiency

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The Oregon Department of Energy on Friday said 66 municipal energy projects will receive a combined $6.5 million in federal stimulus money. The program, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, comes through the federal Enegy Efficiency and Conservation Formula Block Grant.

The grants were available only to government entities. At least 60 percent of the funds directed to the state must go to smaller cities and counties that otherwise weren’t eligible for direct allocations through the grant program.

The energy department received 100 applications for projects in five categories: energy and water conservation, energy efficiency, project financing, renewable energy backup systems and transportation. The state selected projects by determining their energy impact, project readiness, the number of jobs created, and a host of other criteria including the economic impact.

A listing of the municipal projects that will receive funds can be found here via the Department of Energy.