Just over a month after issuing an energy-related challenge to state businesses, Colorado Governor Bill Ritter is at it again, issuing funding for various types of energy projects through the state.

In an effort to further strengthen his state’s “New Energy Economy,” Governor Ritter recently announced $2.2 million in New Energy Economic Development (NEED) grants for 23 state communities, school districts and nonprofits. The NEED grants are funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The new funding will be added to the $5.6 million raised through private and public funding, bringing the total to $7.8 million for all 23 projects combined.

In total, there were 106 applicants for this latest round of NEED grants, a program that has already granted $3 million in 2008 and 2009. This latest round of funding marks the second time the ARRA has funded the NEED grants.

The most recent NEED recipients will, as a whole, pursue a wide range of energy-related projects, from a solar energy installation at an affordable housing unit in Denver, Colorado, to several energy efficiency upgrades at a nonprofit preschool in Gilpin County, to a hydro-electric project in Basalt Colorado. Though the majority of applicants did not receive NEED funding, State Energy Office Director Tom Plant sees the silver lining in such a competitive process:

“The widespread interest in NEED grants is another indicator that Colorado’s businesses and communities are embracing a new energy future. These projects help accelerate market penetration of proven clean-energy technologies, and continue to heighten Colorado’s profile for investors in the New Energy Economy.”

The projects help the state in other ways beyond incorporating renewable energy: they mean more jobs for Coloradans and lower utility bills for those who benefit from the installation. There has been no mention of another round of NEED funding, though the program’s popularity may spur the state into considering another round in the future. Find the list of all 23 NEED recepients here.