Contact: Joanna Wilson, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

Governor Markell, DNREC Secretary O’Mara announce
municipal energy efficiency investments in New Castle County

DELAWARE CITY (Feb. 25, 2011) – Governor Jack Markell and DNREC Secretary Collin O’Mara announced today that as part of the statewide Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program, nine New Castle County towns will receive federal grant funds to make improvements to municipal buildings that will save the towns an estimated total of nearly $70,000 in annual energy costs. The upstate Delaware towns receiving grants are Arden, Ardencroft, Ardentown, Bellefonte, Clayton, Delaware City, Newport, Odessa and Townsend.

Projects planned with the EECBG grants include heating and cooling efficiency upgrades, energy efficient lighting retrofits, appliance replacements, window upgrades, adding insulation and solar energy installations, all of which help to reduce energy consumption and lower energy bills. These projects will also provide job opportunities for local HVAC, general and specialty contractors.

“These projects represent a smart investment in our smaller towns and provide an opportunity to strengthen and stimulate the local economy by bringing a variety of work,” said Governor Markell. “These grants will save our local governments money and put Delawareans to work in jobs that make our buildings more energy efficient and help the environment.”

“By focusing on energy efficiency, local governments across the state will save energy, save money, reduce emissions and improve their bottom line, both long- and short-term,” added Secretary O’Mara.

For example, the town of Delaware City, population approximately 1,500, was awarded two grants: $35,000 to make air conditioner upgrades and weatherization improvements to the town hall, and $447,847 to make energy efficiency improvements to community center building, including appliance replacement and occupancy controls; to install a solar power system on the community center; and to set up a tree planting program. According to estimates based on these improvements, the town stands to save more than $20,000 in annual energy costs, reduce energy consumption by approximately 191,800 kilowatt hours or 12.5 percent, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 75.5 metric tons – equal to taking 14 cars off the road for a year or planting nearly 2,000 trees.

“The projects funded through this grant will allow Delaware City to dramatically decrease our municipal carbon footprint. The combination of energy efficiency, generation of power from renewable sources, and tree planting will serve to enhance our commitment to protecting the wonderful environment surrounding Delaware City and promoting its enjoyment by all,” said Delaware City Mayor John W. Martin.

Delaware City is one of 41 Delaware municipalities statewide that will share $5.46 million in federal grant funding through the EECBG program, receiving grants ranging from $10,000 to $500,000. In addition to making municipal improvements, some towns also opted to offer energy efficiency rebate programs for residents.

Each state, including Delaware, was awarded a portion of $3.2 billion under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 and through the U.S. Department of Energy to be divided in the form of grants among its municipalities to reduce fossil fuel energy use and lower emissions by generating a portion of their own energy needs with renewable energy. The Delaware Energy Office has been working with municipal governments throughout the state to distribute Delaware’s share through the EECBG program.

DNREC first offered grants to cover the cost of energy audits to help identify projects that would qualify for additional funding under the program. Municipalities were eligible for awards ranging from $20,000 to $45,000 based on the size of the population. Competitive grants were awarded in amounts ranging from $10,000 up to a maximum of $500,000 per local government.

Kent County EECBG grant recipients were announced yesterday in Camden, and Sussex County grant recipients will be formally announced on Wednesday, March 2 in Bridgeville.

Vol. 41, No. 68