MONTGOMERY— Economic stimulus grants awarded by Gov. Bob Riley will help Monroeville, Clarke County and Conecuh County save energy and reduce utility bills by upgrading equipment and making other improvements to their facilities. 

The three local governments will each receive $250,000 for energy upgrades as part of $9.6 million in grants to be awarded by Riley under the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program. The program helps governments and nonprofit groups improve the energy efficiency of buildings and vehicles, reduce fossil fuel emissions and create or retain jobs.

“These improvements to our public buildings are a wise economic and environmental investment,” Riley said. “In addition to providing work for construction professionals, the energy-saving steps we take today will save local governments and taxpayers thousands of dollars in the future.”

Monroeville will replace 90 windows in the Community House, a city-owned community center, with new models that hold in more warm air in the winter and cool air in the summer. The city also will replace 50 street lights in the historic district and 35 flood lights at city-owned facilities with models that produce an equivalent amount of light using lower wattage bulbs. The project will provide temporary work for six people and save the city enough in electricity costs to potentially hire an additional employee to work in the fire, police or public works departments, according to Monroeville officials.

The Clarke County Commission will replace the county courthouse’s outdated heating and air conditioning equipment with energy-efficient equipment and install digital temperature controls. In addition to providing temporary work for 10 people, county officials estimate the upgrades will save $27,434 per year in energy costs, enough to continue paying the annual benefits of five county employees.

The Conecuh County Commission will install automated temperature controls in the county courthouse to reduce heating and cooling during times the building is not occupied such as nights and weekends. The county also will install sensors that automatically turn off lights when no one is in a room or area of the building. County officials say the project will provide temporary work for 10 people and save the county an estimated $23,002 annually.

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

Riley informed Mayor Mike Kennedy of Monroeville, Elma Averett of the Clarke County Commission and Jerold Dean of the Conecuh County Commission that the grants had been approved.

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Contact: Mike Presley, Larry Childers