EPA's State and Local Climate and Clean Energy Program recently launched a new online Financing Program Decision Tool and a Financing Program Decision Guide to help communities finance energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. The Financing Program Decision Tool is designed for state and local government leaders in the early stages of choosing a clean energy financing program. Answer a handful of simple questions and the Tool highlights quickly the most promising program options for your jurisdiction to pursue. The Financing Program Decision Guide complements the Tool. This Guide includes the basics on financing-program options, as well as key considerations and factors for states and communities to weigh as they start up or expand their clean energy financing programs. Access the Financing Program Decision Tool and Financing Program Decision Guide.

Luke Forrest is Project Coordinator with the Center for 21st Century Communities and the Green Communities Challenge. Contact him at lforrest@mml.org, 734-669-6323 or @l4est.

Through a grant from EPA's Building Blocks for Sustainable Communities program, two non-profit organizations are offering free technical assistance to communities looking to improve their sustainability and physical design.

Livability Solutions, a coalition of cutting-edge planners that includes the Project for Public Spaces, Dan Burden's Walkable and Livable Communities Institute, the Center for Neighborhood Technology and the Congress for the New Urbanism, is offering one or two-day workshops "intended to provide communities with strategies to enhance livability, to create lasting economic and environmental improvements, and to effect positive change for their residents. We will focus on helping communities reach a tipping point or overcoming a significant hurdle in reaching a particular livability or sustainability goal. Coalition members will work with selected communities to identify the tool or palette of tools that will best help them achieve their livability and sustainability goals, building off of each community’s unique character, culture, creativity, and effort." Applications are due Nov. 22.

Global Green USA is offering "sustainable neighborhood design technical assistance" based on the US Green Building Council's LEED for Neighborhood Design system. For more information and the application, which is due Nov. 18, visit http://globalgreen.org/leedndtechassist.

EPA is offering a webinar to explain more detail about these and other assistance opportunities Nov. 9 at 2pm, click here to register

Luke Forrest is Project Coordinator with the Center for 21st Century Communities. Contact him at 734-669-6323, lforrest@mml.org or @l4est

The new year brought with it a number of new funding and technical assistance opportunities for communities looking to strengthen their 21st Century assets and/or take strides in the Green Communities Challenge. Information about each opportunity is linked below. Contact Luke Forrest, MML Project Coordinator, for more information or support at lforrest@mml.org or 734-669-6323.

The Environmental Protection Agency created the Sustainable Building Blocks Program to provide targeted technical assistance to communities looking to "implement development approaches that protect the environment, improve public health, create jobs, expand economic opportunity and improve overall quality of life." Tools used as part of this program will include "zoning code reviews, walkability assessments, parking policy analysis, climate action planning, commuter benefits, complete streets and fiscal and economic tools." Submit a letter of interest by FEBRUARY 23 to enter a competition to receive technical assistance through this program.

For communities in metro Detroit only, the Southeast Michigan Regional Energy Office is soliciting proposals for municipal energy efficiency or renewable energy projects. The deadline for these grants has been extended to FEBRUARY 24. Communities chosen for funding will be required to join the Energy Office through a formal participation agreement and contribute to the organization's endowment fund once the project is complete. See the application form for more details.

The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality is offering grants of up to three million dollars for acquisition or stewardship of sensitive coastal land through the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program. Proposals are due MARCH 4, see the RFP for more information.

Food company Green Giant will be awarding $25,000 each to four people in recognition of their efforts to make their community greener and to help expand on existing initiatives. Eligible applicants include elected or appointed officials, business owners and community organizers. Applications are due MARCH 6 at www.thegreenawards.com.

Finally, the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth is offering low-interest loans of up to $2,500,000 for energy projects through September 2011. A previous blog entry contains more details.