MONTGOMERY— Gov. Bob Riley has awarded almost $2.3 million in economic stimulus grants to help nonprofit agencies across Alabama save energy and reduce utility bills by upgrading equipment and making other improvements.

The governor announced the grants to 11 nonprofit agencies as part of 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.

“The energy-saving measures made possible by these grants will enable organizations to reduce utility costs and use the savings for programs and services in their communities,” Riley said.

The agencies receiving grants are:

·         Alabama’s Rivers, Mountains and Valleys Resource Conservation and Development Council (Hartselle)–$112,900 to help convert the old water treatment plant in Hartselle into an environmental education center. The council will install solar panels to provide electricity for the facility, add insulation to the building and replace windows and doors with models that are more energy efficient. The organization is providing $40,000 in matching funds for the project.

·         Alabama Shakespeare Festival (Montgomery)–$297,046 for upgrades to the ASF theatre complex in Montgomery. The organization will replace old stage lights with newer more energy-efficient models that use LED technology. Other upgrades include tankless water heaters that heat water only as needed, an energy management system for more efficient heating and cooling of the facility and 48 new water faucets that use a sensor to turn on and off.

·         Brantwood Children’s Home (Montgomery)–$112,794 to replace broken windows and inefficient heating and cooling units with energy-efficient models. Brantwood, which serves as a home for foster children in the Montgomery area, also plans to replace lighting fixtures with models that produce an equivalent amount of light using lower wattage bulbs.

·         Civitans Care (Huntsville)–$176,279 for a new heating and cooling system at the organization’s Civitan Opportunity Center. The organization, which assists people with mental disabilities in the Huntsville area, will contribute $10,000 toward the new equipment.

·         Easter Seals Achievement Center (Opelika)–$269,500 for upgrades that include replacement of lighting fixtures and installation of new, more efficient air conditioning equipment at the Opelika facility. The center works with state and local education systems, the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services and the Veterans Administration to help Alabamians with disabilities. Matching funds of $110,000 have been committed to the project.  

·         Glenwood Autism and Behavioral Health Center (Birmingham)–$450,000 to replace heating and air conditioning equipment in the 32,000-square-foot Allan Cott Center building, which serves as a school for children with autism in the Birmingham area. Center officials say the current system heats and cools the facility unevenly, leaving some areas so cold in the summer that students must wear jackets while other areas are unbearably hot. Small heating and air-conditioning units with individual thermostats will be placed in each classroom and other areas of the building.

·         Impact Family Counseling (Birmingham)–$56,774 for upgrades to the organization’s building in Birmingham. The center will replace heating and air conditioning units that are more than 25 years old, add attic insulation, replace 16 windows with double-paned models that provide better insulation and upgrade lighting fixtures to models that are more energy efficient.

·         Lakeshore Foundation (Birmingham)–$278,749 to upgrade heating and air conditioning equipment and replace 56 exterior lighting fixtures with models that provide the same amount of light using less wattage. The foundation also will construct an additional bank of exterior doors to the building’s main entrance, creating a buffer area that will reduce the loss of heated and cooled air when someone enters or leaves the facility.  The foundation serves as a rehabilitation facility for Alabamians with physical disabilities. Matching funds of $17,500 have been committed to the project.

·         Providence Hospital (Mobile)–$224,000 to replace lighting fixtures in the hospital’s 12 surgical suites and elevator lobby areas. The new lighting will use LED technology that requires significantly less power than traditional fixtures. Matching funds of $25,700 have been committed for the upgrade.

·         River Region United Way (Montgomery)–$120,240 to improve the energy efficiency of the organization’s Montgomery headquarters building which was constructed in 1850. The upgrades include additional insulation in attic and floor spaces, double-paned windows and lighting fixtures that use less energy. Programmable thermostats will be installed to automatically reduce heating and cooling during times the building is not occupied. The River Region United Way serves Autauga, Elmore and Montgomery counties.

·         USS Alabama Battleship Commission (Mobile)–$180,000 to replace 11 inefficient air-conditioner units on the USS Alabama, a tourist attraction in Mobile. The commission has committed $20,000 in matching funds for the upgrades. 

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

Contact: Mike Presley, Larry Childers