MONTGOMERY— Gov. Bob Riley has awarded economic stimulus grants to help two Jefferson County municipalities make improvements to public facilities that will reduce energy bills.
A $195,240 grant to the city of Homewood will enable the replacement of 15 heat pump units in the Homewood Public Library. Existing units are inefficient and costly to operate; some equipment was installed more than 30 years ago when the building was constructed. In addition, Homewood plans to replace 200 light fixtures in the City Hall parking deck with 100 fixtures that are more energy-efficient and also will upgrade lighting at Weygand football field. When the projects are completed, city officials estimate an annual energy savings of more than $20,000.
The city of Center Point will use an $80,900 grant for energy upgrades at City Hall, the city’s welcome center and the municipal ballpark. Improvements at City Hall will include eight new heat pumps, programmable thermostats, additional insulation in the attic and crawl space and energy-efficient lighting. The welcome center will receive additional insulation and an upgrade to double-paned windows that keep in more heat in the winter and cool air in the summer. Energy consumption at the ballpark will be reduced with the addition of devices to control and regulate the amount of power going to the lamps. City officials estimate that the upgrades will result in annual savings of more than $20,000.
“These upgrades are a wise investment that will pay benefits for many years to come,” said Riley. “Energy cost savings are good for taxpayers and a help to municipalities struggling to maintain public services within a tight budget.”
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grant 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.
The grants are part of $9.6 million awarded by Riley as part of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program which helps local governments and nonprofit organizations improve energy efficiency of buildings and vehicles, reduce fossil fuel emissions and create or retain jobs.
Riley notified Homewood Mayor Scott McBrayer and Center Point Mayor Thomas Henderson that the grants had been approved.
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Contact: Josh Carples; Larry Childers