Northumberland County and Shamokin Area School District were the recipients of a combined $580,000 worth of state grants toward alternative and clean energy projects.
The school district was awarded $500,000 to install a solar system and energy efficient heating, cooling and lighting in the district’s buildings. The county was awarded $80,000 to install an energy efficient boiler system in the Northumberland County Career and Arts Center in Shamokin.
County Planning Director Pat Mack said the three-story building still has cold pockets throughout it as a result of the 30-year-old system.
The repair bills were becoming significant and the three boilers were not zoned well, he said.
The new boilers will be smaller, will provide heat to the building better and be more energy efficient at burning natural gas, Mack said.
An engineer will be hired in November or December to determine the best plan. Once a plan is in place, the contractor will be bid in February or March in order to “get this thing rolling in the spring and work the kinks out,” Mack said.
The center is home to Central Susquehanna Opportunities Inc., Central Susquehanna Intermediate Unit, District Judge John Gembic, The Northumberland County Council For The Arts & Humanities, Brush Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce, Luzerne County Community College and others.
A representative of Shamokin Area could not be reached Friday.
The $580,000 is part of nearly $12.5 million in Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority grant money awarded to 28 local governments, schools and businesses for alternative and clean energy projects, along with projects deploying technologies such as solar energy, hydropower, biomass and energy efficiency. The recipients were announced by Gov. Tom Corbett Thursday.
“We are supporting a more diverse and robust energy sector that protects our environment and uses our resources more efficiently,” said Corbett in a media release. “These grants will help organizations harness alternative and renewable energy to increase energy efficiency throughout Pennsylvania.”
The awarded PEDA grants will help pay for such projects as the installation of solar arrays, replacement of old heating units and street lights with more energy efficient models, and the use of biogas from wastewater systems for industrial power and heating needs.
Those eligible to apply included nonprofit corporations; Pennsylvania schools, colleges and universities; any Pennsylvania municipality, and public or private corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, associations and other legal business entities.
PEDA is an independent public financing authority created in 1982 by the Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority and the Emergency Powers Act. The authority’s mission is to finance clean, advanced energy projects in Pennsylvania.
The largest amount received was $1 million for Knouse Food Co-op in Adams County for the installation of biogas combined heat and power system.
Green power gets $580G boost
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