Grant Meyer The Montana Department of Environmental Quality’s (DEQ) Alternative Energy Revolving Loan Program recently set a 3.25 percent interest rate for the remainder of 2014. The revolving loan program has helped local governments, non-profit organizations, small businesses, and homeowners install alternative energy systems for more than a decade. More than $5 million has been loaned over … Read more
The federal government has announced an interagency National Drought Resilience Partnership to help communities better prepare for future droughts and reduce the impact of drought on the economy. The partnership is designed to make it easier to access federal resources, as well as information such as monitoring and forecasts. Outlooks and early warnings with longer-term … Read more
The U.S. House approved the Water Resources Reform Development Act (WRRDA) in late October. However, the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act (WIFIA) that was included in the U.S. Senate’s version of the bill was removed from the House version. Now the American Water Works Association (AWWA) is teaming up with 10 other organizations to … Read more
The recent bridge collapse in Washington state is drawing some much needed attention to the United States’ aging infrastructure problem. In response to the nation’s growing concerns, a bipartisan group of U.S. Congressional delegates has co-sponsored legislation called “The Partnership to Build America Act.” The legislation would finance the rebuilding of our country’s water, transportation, … Read more
The U.S. House is expected to consider the Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2013 very soon. The U.S. Senate passed the WRDA legislation in May, which includes the creation of a Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Authority (WIFIA) pilot program. The House is expected to consider WRDA in the late summer or early fall. … Read more
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is still accepting applications from qualified non-profit and public organizations, or “intermediaries,” to provide loans to support rural businesses and community development groups. The USDA’s Intermediary Relending Program (IRP) is intended to spark business expansion and create jobs. The loans assist with financing business and economic development activity to … Read more