A working group comprised of members from Commerce as well as the Oklahoma offices of the Secretaries of Energy and the Environment was convened early in the process to establish priorities that would best serve the interests of Oklahoma, taking into consideration the requirements of DOE.Thereafter, a separate advisory committee evaluated 85 proposals submitted from all over the state and ultimately selected 40 projects to receive funding and an additional pool of money to be set aside to fund energy efficient projects in Oklahoma Main Street communities.

Many of the recommended projects are for building energy efficiency improvements while others include solar and wind renewable energy projects and alternative fuel vehicles. Among the criteria used in selecting projects were immediate job creation; use of current technology; use of Oklahoma companies; and demonstrating the state’s commitment to sustainability.

“We are very pleased to recommend these projects for funding,” says Secretary of Commerce and Tourism Natalie Shirley.”These projects provide an opportunity for some of Oklahoma’s smaller communities to benefit from stimulus funding. But more importantly, they allow the communities, their citizens and businesses to think and act strategically to be good stewards of the environment through energy efficiency and conservation.”

According to Commerce Community Development Director Vaughn Clark, the agency will prepare grant contracts for the recommended projects to ensure projects can begin as quickly as possible after approval from the DOE. The ARRA gives preference to projects that can be started and completed expeditiously. Funds will be provided to the state on a staged schedule to ensure project funds are being spent properly and that jobs are being created.
Following is the list of recommended projects that have been submitted by Commerce to the DOE for EECBG funding (Download the Word document):

Ductmate Industries Inc. will receive up to $192,000 in tax credits to help with expanding its Tulsa manufacturing and tooling operations, according to a White House news release. Oklahoma City-based geothermal company Climate Master Inc. and prospective wind-tower producer Eagle Claw Fabrication LLC of Muskogee will receive $8.94 million and $4.37 million, respectively. The awards were announced over the weekend.

Eagle Claw says the clean-energy stimulus will be an investment tax credit for a project at the Port of Muskogee.

Ductmate, based in Charleroi, Pa., plans to expand its Tulsa facility’s production of energy-efficient heating, venting and air-conditioning duct work with self-sealing fixtures.

Climate Master will expand facilities that produce water-source heat pumps. The company specializes in geothermal heating and cooling systems for homes and businesses.

The stimulus package, known officially as the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, is contributing $2.3 billion in tax credits for the clean energy and efficiency effort.
The program will offer the 30 percent tax credits to 183 projects in 43 states.

The rebate program will begin on May 8th for Oklahoma residents.

Vaughn Clark, Director of Community Development for the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, said Oklahoma has had the opportunity to review what has worked well and what hasn’t worked well in other states that have already implemented their programs. That has led to a slightly different model from other states.

“The entire process will take place at the point of sale with the vendor,” said Clark. “There is no need for Oklahomans to reserve a rebate prior to the May 8th date. There are no forms to fill out ahead of time. Consumers can simply show up at the retailer of their choice and complete their purchase and rebate application process in one visit.”

The program, which in Oklahoma will be administered by a third-party vendor, is a nationwide endeavor from the U.S. Department of Energy and is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

The system is designed to guarantee that no Oklahoman will inadvertently purchase an appliance and find out later they will not get a rebate. Retailers will be able to tell on-the-spot if a rebate is available.

Clark said the rebates are expected to run out quickly. The $3.5 million allocated to Oklahoma is equal to roughly 23,000 rebates.

In the meantime, Oklahomans can visit www.OKcommerce.gov/appliances for updates.

The criteria used in writing the plan were energy savings potential and popularity in Oklahoma. The qualifying ENERGY STAR appliances and rebate levels are:

• Clothes Washers $200
• Refrigerators $200
• Room Air Conditioners $50
• Water Heaters $100
• Central Air Conditioners $100
• Gas Furnaces $100
• Ground Source Heat Pumps  $250
• Air Source Heat Pumps $250

To qualify, appliances must have the ENERGY STAR designation and old appliances must be removed from the property and properly disposed of. Oklahoma residential consumers will be eligible for rebates in Oklahoma, and there is a maximum of one rebate per appliance and two rebates per household.

Commerce will be in contact with area retailers to fully explain the program. More information is available at www.OKcommerce.gov/appliances.

Your local utility or electric coop is very likely to be offering rebates on energy efficient appliances that you can receive in addition to the federal ARRA rebates. For example, PSO Oklahoma offers its customers $125 to $825 on the installation of a new high-efficiency central air conditioning or heat pump unit. Cookson Hills Electric Cooperative has $50 rebates on dishwashers, $100 on clothes washers, $500/ton on geothermal heat pumps and more.

We have a list of Oklahoma electric coop rebates currently offered. Check out the list and then visit your local coop online or call for details. For links to PSO, Edmond Electric, and other Oklahoma utilities that have rebate programs under way, visit the DSIRE database of Oklahoma renewable and efficiency incentives.

Other utilities, such as OG&E and Red River Valley REA are offering easy financing on heat pumps. Competitive interest rates and low monthly payments combined with ARRA rebates can result in significant energy savings for years to come. Find links to more information on the Oklahoma DSIRE database.

Finally, the federal government also offers tax credits on a wide variety of other energy efficient systems and products.  If you’re in the market for a new roof, energy-efficient windows and doors, water heaters, insulation, heat pumps, residential wind turbines, and more, visit the ENERGY STAR Federal Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency website for details.

And as always, visit www.okcommerce.gov/appliances for more details about Oklahoma’s Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program.

The rebate application form that Retailers will provide Consumers at the close of a qualifying appliance sale will ask for a signature regarding the proper disposal of the old appliance. If a third party, such as a Retailer or recycler, is involved in the disposal, that third party can sign the form and attest to the proper disposal. Or the Consumer can self-certify: sign the form acknowledging responsibility for and pledging proper disposal. Only a signature on the rebate application is required. No other form of documentation is necessary.

What Consumers CANNOT Do with An Old Appliance:

• Sell it.
• Give it away.
• Keep it as a second or back-up appliance.
• Refurbish it.

Options for Appliance Disposal and Documentation:

• If the Retailer offers this service, have them haul away the old appliance when they deliver/install the new one. Whoever takes the appliance can sign the rebate application.
• Take your old appliance to or have it picked up by a white goods recycler. The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality has provided us a list of Oklahoma Recyclers. The recycler can sign the rebate application.
• Take your old appliance to a local landfill. If there’s an attendant on hand, they can sign your form, or you can self-certify.
• Contact your local municipality to see if the city provides haul away services of old appliances. If they do, they can sign the form or you can self-certify.
• Contact your local electric utility to see if they provide appliance haul away services. If they do, they can sign the form or you can self-certify.

For more details about the program, please be sure to visit www.OKcommerce.gov/appliances where you’ll find details for Consumers, for Retailers, and general FAQs.

If you haven’t registered yet do it today, because the practice session will be available only to registered retailers tomorrow. 

We strongly encourage you to view the You Tube training video we sent out last week, and download the program manual at retail.okappliancerebate.com. Both will help with the practice session tomorrow.

To practice, simply go to retail.okappliancerebate.com and log in with the credentials you received when you registered in the program. Those are the same credentials you’ll use to log-in Saturday to start reserving rebates. 

Create fake customers and reserve rebates. Practice going in to look up a customer’s rebate information you made earlier, in case you later need to retrieve the information.  Make rebate reservations for different appliances to become familiar with the pre-populated fields. Print a rebate reservation form and read it carefully to become familiar with how it displays for the customer. See where retailers need to sign the form if you are taking responsibility for old appliance disposal. 

In another state, retailers entered real customer data during the practice session and printed out the rebate forms and gave them to customers. That’s a big no-no. Do not do it.  Only rebate reservation forms time and date stamped after 9 a.m., Saturday May 8 will be valid.

Tomorrow evening, the database will be wiped clean of all the practice data you put in. So practice as much as you want between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

If you still have questions after tomorrow, plan to participate in one of our conference calls. They are scheduled at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. Wednesday, and 10 a.m. Thursday. We’ll send out the dial-in information tomorrow.

Oklahoma’s rebate program, which is funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, kicked off on April 22 when appliance dealers and HVAC installers started registering to participate in the program. More than 350 retailers have registered so far.

Consumers who wish to participate in the program are urged to visit okcommerce.gov/appliances for details about the program. Consumers may also visit okappliancerebate.com where they can search for a retailer by name or find a nearby retailer who sells a specific appliance. Consumers who have a favorite retailer should check to see they are registered in the program or encourage them to do so if not. 

It’s important for Consumers to know the rules of the program to ensure their rebate request won’t be rejected.  Here are some important tips to ensure a successful purchase/rebate:

Consumers’ rebate reservation form and sales receipt MUST show a time/date stamp after 9 a.m., Saturday, May 8. Purchases made prior to that time are not eligible.

If a retailer is going to dispose of the old appliance, the retailer must sign the rebate reservation form. If the consumer is going to dispose of the appliance, he/she must sign the form and check the box stating you are “self-certifying” to dispose of it properly.

The rebate form and sales receipt must be mailed and postmarked by 5 p.m., June 30.

It’s wise to shop early, especially because there will be no exchanges of appliances purchased in conjunction with the rebate program. But beware of overly aggressive retailers who suggest they have a way for consumers to buy ahead of time. No retailer will have access to the rebate reservation system until 9 a.m., May 8, so it is impossible to guarantee a consumer a rebate before then.

This email is to ensure everyone knows what the program rules are regarding appliance sales.

• For a Consumer to receive a rebate, the sales receipt must show a sale date/time after 9 a.m., Saturday, May 8, and the rebate reservation form must show a sale date of Saturday, May 8 or later.
• Rebate reservations that are submitted with sales receipts showing an earlier sale time/date will be voided. 
• No Retailer will have access to the rebate reservation system until 9 a.m., Saturday, May 8.
• The only way a Consumer is guaranteed a rebate is with an official rebate reservation form generated at the time of the sale and a sales receipt showing purchase after 9 a.m., Saturday, May 8.

Anything beyond these conditions is out of our control. 

If you are a Retailer, please be up front with your customers about what you can and cannot promise.

If you are a Consumer, know the rules, listen to the sales pitch, and make an informed decision.

Step 1 — Register!  If you haven’t already!
Don’t forget the deadline for retailers to register to participate is 5 p.m., Wednesday, May 5. You must be registered to participate. So if you haven’t done so already, go to okcommerce.gov/appliances and click on the button for retailer registration. Many of the next steps below will only be available to registered retailers.

Step 2 – Let Your Customers Know You’re Registered
We have created a sign you can use at your location to let your customers know you are a Registered Retailer in the Oklahoma Energy Efficient Appliance Rebate Program. The artwork for the sign is available for Registered Retailers on the retailer website. Just go to retail.okappliancerebate.com, log in with the credentials supplied when you registered, and you can download the art to use on signage in your store or in advertisements.

Step 3 — Training Video
We are happy to provide you this link to a You Tube video that walks you through the Oklahoma rebate reservation process: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pzLbUqe6Up4. Every sales clerk who will be reserving rebates for customers starting May 8 should review the video and start to become familiar with the process. We suggest downloading the retailer manual from retail.okappliancerebate.com, and use it to take notes and follow along when viewing the video.

One thing we noticed that was not emphasized in the video is that once the Retailer logs into the system with the log-in information received during registration, the bottom of the screen will show a real-time balance of funds remaining in the program. That will ensure the sales clerk that there are enough funds for the Consumer to receive a rebate. If at any time that balance shows $250 or less, you’ll know funds are almost depleted.

Step 4 – Practice Day
Tuesday, May 4 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Registered Retailers will have access to the rebate reservation system. All of your sales clerks who will be entering customer data starting May 8 will have the opportunity to get into the system and play. Create fake customers, reserve a reservation. Practice looking up a customer whose rebate you’ve already reserved. At the end of the day after practice day, we will wipe the database clean so all your fake data will be gone when we go live on May 8. Keep track of any questions that come up during the practice. Remember, this practice is the ONLY practice session that will be available and will be available ONLY to registered retailers. So be sure to register before Tuesday if you haven’t already.

Step 5 — Conference Calls
On Wednesday, May 5, we will host 2 conference calls at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. And on Thursday, May 6 we will host 1 call at 10 a.m. for those who register late or who couldn’t make one of the calls on Wednesday. The purpose is to ask any questions you may have after having spent time with the system and watched the video. It’s not required to participate in the call. It’s just in case you want to ask questions. The calls will last 1 hour or less if we run out of questions. Mark your calendar if you want to participate. We’ll send out the call-in information to registered retailers in a couple days.

Thank you. And as always, visit www.okcommerce.gov/appliances for more program details.

Since the program began at 9:00a.m. Saturday, May 8, more than 7,000 rebates have been reserved.

Of the available rebate funds, more than $1.6 million remains unspent. That means more than 50% of the total rebate fund remains ready for Oklahoma consumers to claim after purchasing a qualifying ENERGY STAR appliance from a Registered Oklahoma Retailer.

Eligible ENERGY STAR appliances and their rebate amounts are as follows:

• Clothes Washers                $200
• Refrigerators (Minimum Size 14 Cubic Ft.)  $200
• Room Air Conditioners         $50 
• Water Heaters                     $100 
• Central Air Conditioners        $100
• Gas Furnaces                      $100 
• Ground Source Heat Pumps  $250 
• Air Source Heat Pumps         $250

Consumers who wish to participate in the program are urged to visit okcommerce.gov/appliances for details about the program. Consumers may also visit okappliancerebate.com where they can search for a retailer by name or find a nearby retailer who sells a specific appliance. Consumers who have a favorite retailer should check to see they are registered in the program or encourage them to do so if not.

It’s important for Consumers to know the rules of the program to ensure their rebate request won’t be rejected.  Here are some important tips to ensure a successful purchase/rebate:

• Consumers’ rebate reservation form and sales receipt MUST show a time/date stamp after 9:00a.m. Saturday, May 8, 2010. 
• Purchases made prior to 9:00a.m. Saturday, May 8, 2010 are not eligible. 
• If a retailer is going to dispose of the old appliance, the retailer must sign the rebate reservation form.  If the consumer is going to dispose of the appliance, he/she must sign the form and check the box stating you are “self-certifying” to dispose of it properly.
• The rebate form and sales receipt must be mailed and postmarked by 5 p.m., June 30.