Recently passed legislation that creates an Energy Efficiency Block Grant (EEBG) will “help accelerate our climate protection agenda in American cities,” says Trenton, N.J. Mayor Douglas Palmer, president of the Washington-based U.S. Conference of Mayors. President Bush signed the bill into law last week.

Mayors of cities nationwide are ready to join with the federal government on creating green jobs, promoting energy efficiency and developing alternative energy supplies, Palmer says. The EEBG program will award $10 billion to cities to fund local programs in those areas. “To date, more than 750 mayors nationwide have signed our U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement committing to reduce carbon emissions by 2012,” Palmer says. “This energy legislation will allow city leaders to expedite their goals to make their cities more climate friendly.”