News Release 158
Gov. Nixon announces $1 million in Recovery Act funds Energize Missouri Communities in southwest Missouri
Volume 38-158 (For Immediate Release)
Contact: Kerry Cordray
573-526-4220
JEFFERSON CITY, MO, MARCH 26, 2010 -- Gov. Jay Nixon today announced the Missouri Department of Natural Resources’ Energize Missouri Communities has offered $1,079,117 in grant awards to 11 communities and counties in the southwest Missouri for energy efficiency projects.
Funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Energize Missouri Communities offered a total of $11.3 million in grant awards to 58 communities and counties throughout Missouri. The Recovery Act provides significant funding to assist communities and counties with projects that meet specific program goals to reduce energy use, create and retain jobs and reduce fossil fuel emissions.
Early estimates show that 105 jobs will be created as a result of Energize Missouri Communities funding. Completion of the funded projects will save Missouri communities and counties more than 47.7 million kilowatt-hours of energy per year and reduce CO2 emissions by 11,657 tons, the equivalent of removing 2,022 cars from the roads.
The department issued the grant awards in four program areas: Public Building Energy Efficiency Retrofits, Green Streets, Special Community Initiatives and Water and Wastewater Treatment Efficiency.
- The Public Building Energy Efficiency Retrofits program area is designed to help units of local government reduce energy use and improve the energy efficiency of public buildings by conducting retrofits to building energy systems.
- The Green Streets program area is designed to encourage municipalities to partner with local businesses and building owners to aggregate the effects of implementing energy efficiency projects, encourage economic development and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- The Special Community Initiatives program area is designed to capture beneficial energy efficiency and conservation projects at the community level such as; implementing technologies to capture landfill gas, incorporating energy efficiency practices into construction of government buildings, or installing renewable energy technologies.
- The Water and Wastewater Treatment Efficiency program area is designed to help municipal utilities reduce energy use and operating costs by conducting energy audits and implementing energy efficiency projects.
Southwest Missouri communities receiving funding, the amounts, and description of the project are listed below:
Camden County
- Public Buildings and Energy Efficiency Retrofits grant award of $134,608 for updating lights at city buildings, installing HVAC controls and replacing the HVAC system at the county campus.
Christian County
- Public Buildings and Energy Efficiency Retrofits grant award of $110,604 for updating lighting systems at 11 educational facilities within the Nixa School District.
Highlandville, city of
- Water and Wastewater Efficiency grant award of $153,412 for replacing 30 grinder pumps with gravity flow line to facilitate waste conveyance to the lift station.
Houston, city of
- Public Buildings and Energy Efficiency Retrofits grant award of $30,000 for replacing heaters with efficient heat pumps at municipal buildings and upgrading light fixtures to metal halide at Houston Carter Field.
Lebanon, city of
- Green Streets grant award of $321,002 for conducting energy audits and installing retrofits for 19 businesses in the downtown district.
- Water and Wastewater Efficiency grant award of $40,013 for replacing three pumps and motors at the wastewater treatment plant.
Neosho, city of
- Water and Wastewater Efficiency grant award of $58,640 for replacing three pump motors and lights at the wastewater treatment plant.
Nevada, city of
- Public Buildings and Energy Efficiency Retrofits grant award of $11,739 for implementing lighting and HVAC retrofits at seven municipal buildings.
Newton County
- Public Buildings and Energy Efficiency Retrofits grant award of $16,659 for retrofitting lights at public safety buildings.
Taney County
- Public Buildings and Energy Efficiency Retrofits grant award of $174,999 for replacing lights at 23 buildings; including three school districts and fire stations.
Texas County
- Public Buildings and Energy Efficiency Retrofits grant award of $5,441 for replacing lights and installing building energy efficiency improvements.
Wright County
- Public Buildings and Energy Efficiency Retrofits grant award of $22,000 for installing a temperature control system that interfaces with Smart Grid technology.
The department’s Division of Energy will administer the Energize Missouri Communities grant funds. Grant recipients have until August 2012 to complete their projects.
The department is administering more than $200 million in American Reinvestment and Recovery Act funding to support Energize Missouri projects to create jobs and improve energy efficiencies and renewable energy for Missouri. The department is committed to working closely with communities and counties to assist with funding efforts that support energy efficiency projects as well as provide financial savings.
For more information on the federal Recovery Act, visit recovery.gov. For more information on Missouri’s transform initiatives, visit transform.mo.gov. For more information, contact Energize Missouri Communities, P.O. Box 176, Jefferson City, MO 65102-0176 or 877-610-0834. By email to william.haas@dnr.mo.gov or visit Energize Missouri Communities’ website at: dnr.mo.gov/transform/energizemissouricommunities.htm
###
