Stimulate US: Federal tap opens and the money is trickling
After several weeks of preparation, some federal agencies have begun to dribble out ARRA stimulus money to projects near and far. A sample of the handouts just announced:
$535 million loan guarantee from DOE to Solyndra, Inc. to build and market cylindrical solar panels in California. Solyndra estimates this will create over 1,000 jobs.
$150 million to speed construction of the National Synchrotron at the Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY
$31.6 million for energy conservation and efficiency projects in Alabama. The state earlier was awarded $127 million for weatherization and energy. You can check your state's cut of this pie here.
$34 million to the Army for family housing construction.
$5 million for wildland fire management in Colorado, removing dead trees killed by the mountain pine beetle along 150 miles of roadside
$11.4 million for the National Zoological Park, to install fire protection, and replace roofs and animal-holding facilities, and repair bridges
$100 million for new tech to monitor the country's southwest border
$450 million to fix and build roads, schools and detention centers in Indian Country
Most agencies, however, are still in the process of allocating the funds within their own houses. The actual granting of money to companies or agency entities which will actually hire employees (create jobs) has yet to be made.
