One of the themes that Mayor Bell has raised consistently since the Federal government began talking about stimulus packages has been energy efficiency.
In fact, upon his return from a trip to Washington earlier this year, Bell talked about getting a few minutes of new Energy Dept. secretary Steven Chu's time on the fly-up, with hizzoner excited about the prospects for Federal stimulus dollars supporting energy efficiency.
Well, the stimulus package is out, and its Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program is underway, overseen in Durham by City/County sustainability coordinator Tobin Fried.
Fried announced in an email (sent along to the InterNeighborhood Council's list by INC president Craigie Sanders) that the City has determined its plans for the nearly $2.2 million in funding it expects to receive. The programs will begin later this year or early next, Fried says.
Roughly half of the funds will pay for upgrades to City facilities, including the installation of LED lighting in "a parking garage."
No word on which parking deck will be chosen, though given the recent attention on lighting and safety concerns in the Corcoran St. deck where Self-Help founded Martin Eakes was assaulted last year, we at BCR wouldn't be surprised if that facility gets the nod.
Also up: the addition of solar hot water heaters to some fire stations; audits of buildings to look for energy-saving opportunities; and retrofits to other facilities to increase efficiency, thus reducing the long-range cost of ownership and utilities for these buildings.
The remaining half of the funds will be targeted towards improving the energy efficiency of 400 or so residences in Durham -- with a goal of reducing energy use by 20% in those houses that participate.
This program will focus on households earning 200% or more of the poverty level a year, noting that existing weatherization programs via Operation Breakthrough already have funds and resources to support low-income residents.
The older, single-story, central-air conditioned homes eligible for the program will come from a focused number of neighborhoods that express interest, as the small areas program will feature neighbor-to-neighbor education and training as a component.
Selected contractors will focus on insulating and sealing ducts and attics and adding programmable thermostats to houses, with post-improvement independent inspections to ensure quality and before-and-after utility bill metrics to demonstrate energy savings.
More information on the Federal program is available at the Department of Energy's web site.
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