Stimulus Bill to Boost State and Local Information Technology - Government Technology

According to the Center for Digital Government and other sources, the legislation includes several technology-focused initiatives:
* $30 billion for a "smart" U.S. power grid, advanced battery technology and energy efficiency in government buildings and schools.
* $20 billion over the next 10 years in tax incentives for renewable energy and energy efficiency.
* $15 billion for investments in basic research and development to train students for an "innovation" economy, and in deploying new technologies into the marketplace.
* $7 billion for broadband, including build-out in rural areas
* $19 billion to accelerate adoption of health IT, including electronic health records for the public
* $8 billion for high-speed rail projects.

These are rough estimates, and which projects are funded from these pools of money remains to be seen.

The Obama administration and its economic team are pushing for the funds to be spent quickly. But the process could be slowed, observers say, by the procurement processes of state and local government.The Obama administration has launched Recovery.gov to track transparency and spending of the stimulus package. According to the Web site, federal agencies will begin awarding block grants as soon as Thursday.

Stimulus Bill to Boost State and Local Information Technology - Government Technology