Gov. Robert Bentley is awarding $160,000 in grants to help 10 public schools, three medical facilities and a city-owned water treatment plant to cut expenses by making their facilities more energy efficient.
The grant recipients will replace outdated heating, cooling, lighting or other systems with modern and efficient equipment that is less expensive to operate.
“These upgrades are an excellent financial investment for taxpayers that will reduce operating costs for many years to come,” Bentley said.
To fund the upgrade projects, the governor announced 11 energy-efficiency grants:
• Alabama Institute for Deaf and Blind—$15,000 (supplemented by $19,175 in matching funds) to replace air conditioning equipment with units that are more efficient;
• Huntsville Board of Education—$15,000 (supplemented by $32,500 in matching funds) to upgrade the lighting system at Huntsville High School;
• Lanett Board of Education—$15,000 (supplemented by $24,123 in matching funds) to install an energy-efficient heating and air conditioning system at Lance Elementary School;
• Demopolis Board of Education—$15,000 (supplemented by $39,762 in matching funds) to upgrade the lighting system at Demopolis High School;
• Satsuma Board of Education—$15,000 (supplemented by $45,610 in matching funds) to install energy-efficient lighting and occupancy sensors at Robert E. Lee Primary School;
• Talladega County Board of Education—$15,000 (supplemented by $3,750 in matching funds) to upgrade the lighting system at Lincoln Elementary School by adding occupancy sensors;
• Winston County Board of Education—$15,000 (supplemented by $3,837 in matching funds) to install energy-efficient heating and air conditioning units at Double Springs Elementary, Winston County Junior High and Winston County High;
• Cullman Regional Medical Center—$15,000 (supplemented by $41,495 in matching funds) to enable installation of energy-efficient lighting for the facility’s parking lot;
• Gulf Health Hospitals, Inc., Baldwin County—$15,000 (supplemented by $37,040 in matching funds) to install energy-efficient lighting upgrades at Thomas Hospital;
• Mobile Infirmary Association—$15,000 (supplemented by matching funds of $18,997) to help the nonprofit hospital install energy-efficient lighting upgrades; and
• Brundidge—$10,000 (supplemented by $85,400 in matching funds) to install equipment at the city’s wastewater treatment plant that will permit speed adjustments, extending the life of motors and reducing energy consumption.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs is administering the grants from funds made available by the U.S. Department of Energy’s State Energy Program. ADECA administers a wide range of programs that support law enforcement, economic development, infrastructure upgrades, recreation, energy conservation, water resource management, job training and career development.
--30--
Contact Russell Sellers or Mike Presley