Northwest Herald - County to receive $2.47 million for green projects

PUBLISHED: November 26, 2009

(Northwest Herald) McHenry County government will receive $2.47 million under the federal economic stimulus bill for projects to increase energy efficiency in county buildings.

County officials learned this month that it would receive the disbursement under the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program, funded by the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The program through the Department of Energy provides up to $2.7 billion in funds for governments to create jobs through projects aimed at reducing energy use and fossil fuel emissions.

The county applied for the money in June, and began working with Siemens Building Technologies to develop a list of projects allowed under the program, County Administrator Peter Austin said.

One of the larger projects will be the installation of a solar wall on the side of the courthouse to reflect sunlight. Other projects include installing LED lighting and high-efficiency motors, upgrading boilers, and investigating ways to further improve existing county buildings.

"It's very exciting that we'll be able to do some of these projects, especially the solar wall, which we would not have been able to do on our own," said McHenry County Board member Tina Hill, R-Woodstock.

The County Board is expected to accept the funds at its Dec. 15 meeting, and work on some of the projects is slated to begin in January. County officials estimate that the projects, once finished, will reduce county government's carbon footprint by 2.8 million pounds of carbon dioxide in the first year.