MONTGOMERY— Gov. Bob Riley has awarded economic stimulus grants totaling $1.2 million to help six local governments in Baldwin and Mobile counties save energy and reduce utility bills by making improvements to facilities. 

Riley awarded grants of $250,000 to Bayou La Batre and Daphne, $42,350 to Mount Vernon and $750,000 to a partnership between the Saraland, Citronelle and Creola. The awards are part of $9.6 million in funding to be awarded under the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program. The program helps local governments and nonprofit groups improve the energy efficiency of buildings and vehicles, reduce fossil fuel emissions and create or retain jobs.

“Making these improvements to our public buildings and facilities is a good economic and environmental investment,” Riley said. “These projects provide work for construction professionals and will save governments and taxpayers thousands of dollars in the future.”

Bayou La Batre will replace outdated, inefficient heating and air conditioning equipment at the city Community/Senior Center with energy-efficient systems. The project includes installation of digital controls that automatically reduce heating and cooling during times the building is not occupied. Bayou La Batre officials estimate the project will create work for 10 construction professionals and save the city $24,000 per year in energy costs. The city has committed funds of $39,000 to the project.

Daphne will replace old compressor blowers, part of the wastewater treatment process, with new models that use less energy. The new blowers will reduce energy consumption at the city’s Water Reclamation Facility by 30 percent and save about $30,000 per year in utility costs, city officials said. The city is contributing $80,000 toward the project.

Mount Vernon will upgrade equipment at Town Hall. Planned upgrades include installation of energy- efficient heating and cooling equipment, additional insulation in the building’s attic and new double-paned windows that hold in more heated air in the winter and cooled air in the summer. The upgrades will save Mount Vernon an estimated $2,712 in annual energy costs and contribute to the continued employment of eight people, town officials said.

Saraland, Citronelle and Creola will use their grant to help the University of South Alabama Medical Center replace out-of-date heating and air conditioning equipment that was installed in the 1960s. The 538,000-square-foot medical complex serves as the designated trauma center for residents of the three municipalities. Installation of energy-efficient heating and cooling equipment along with a digital energy-management system is expected to cut energy costs by about $293,187 annually and create work for 10 construction professionals, Saraland officials said.

The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the awards from funds made available to the state by the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

Riley informed mayors Stan Wright of Bayou La Batre, Fred Small of Daphne, Jerry Lundy of Mount Vernon and Ken Williams of Saraland that the grants had been approved.

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