U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that the Department of Energy has awarded a total of $184,500 to Poughkeepsie in Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG) through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). This money will help finance the implementation of projects that increase energy efficiency, reduce energy usage and costs, create local jobs and lower carbon pollution. Poughkeepsie will use the funding to install energy efficient windows in City Hall.
“Investing in energy efficiency projects is smart and responsible. It saves taxpayer money, reduces pollution, and cuts dependence on foreign oil,” said Schumer. “While Americans are struggling to make ends meet and energy prices and pollution continue to soar, funding clean energy projects makes sense for Poughkeepsie and all of New York State.”
“This is a great investment for Poughkeepsie,” said Senator Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. “These federal dollars will help us move forward on new clean energy projects to cut our emissions and improve our environment, while creating new jobs and rebuilding our economy. I will continue working with Senator Schumer to make sure New York gets its fair share from the federal government.”
The EECBG program will provide grants for projects that reduce total energy use and fossil fuel emissions, and improve energy efficiency in local communities and nationwide. Poughkeepsie will use the funding to install energy efficient windows in City Hall.
· The funding will support energy audits and energy efficiency retrofits, the development and implementation of advanced building codes and inspections, and the creation of financial incentive programs for energy efficiency improvements.
· Other activities eligible for grant funds include transportation programs that conserve energy, projects to reduce and capture methane and other greenhouse gas emissions from landfills, renewable energy installations on government buildings, energy efficient traffic signals and street lights, energy technologies such as combined heat and power and district heating and cooling systems, and others.
· Local leaders will have the flexibility in how they put these resources to work – but will be held accountable for making the investments quickly and wisely to spur the local economy and cut energy use.
· To ensure accountability and transparency, the DOE will provide guidance and require grant recipients to report on the number of jobs created or retained, energy saved, renewable energy capacity installed, greenhouse gas emissions reduced, and funds leveraged.
To date, the DOE has awarded more than 1,400 Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants, with a total of $1.6 billion going to units of local and state governments.
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