Recently, Jack Markell, Governor of Delaware and Collin O’Mara, Secretary for Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, have declared the availability of energy efficiency block funding.
This includes funding for the solar PV projects planned for the 21 municipalities located in Sussex County. The grants are backed by the statewide Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program (EECGB). A total amount of $5.46 million was distributed as federal grant for the municipalities in the state. Each municipality has received funding in the range of $10,000 and $500,000.
The grants are part of the total amount of $3.2 billion kept aside for the states under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to offer funds to clean energy projects of the municipality that reduces fossil fuel consumption and carbon dioxide level. According to O’Mara, the state of Delaware has instructed the municipalities to perform energy audit and use the grants for clean energy projects to enable every community to receive some part of the grant money. The state is planning to sanction renewable energy grants on completion of the clean energy project investments.
The projects support by the grant in Sussex County include upgrades for heating and cooling efficiency, installation of energy efficient lighting, extra insulation, upgrading of windows and existing pumps, solar power erection and white roof project. Sussex County is anticipated to save around $250,000 in its annual energy spending.
The state has also declared a number of solar projects at the wastewater-treatment facilities of the state. This will enable the state to achieve energy conservation and efficiency in treating wastewater treatment.
Source: http://delaware.gov/