Woodbury Receives $70,000 Energy Efficiency Grant



NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Governor Phil Bredesen and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Matt Kisber announced today that 100 Tennessee cities and counties were awarded more than $9.2 million in Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG) as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The grants will enable communities to implement cost-effective strategies that reduce total energy expenses and save taxpayer money through improved energy efficiency in buildings and transportation systems, creating an estimated 100 new jobs in the process.

The Town of Woodbury received $70,000 for an HVAC retrofit at City Hall and rebate program for city residents.

“These Recovery Act grants will improve energy efficiency in cities and counties throughout the state as local governments lead by example in their energy conservation efforts,” said Governor Bredesen. “I applaud these communities that are incorporating energy efficiency measures into their strategic plans and demonstrating the importance of reducing energy consumption.”

The grants will fund a variety of energy efficiency and conservation programs in local communities across the state, including projects that will replace inefficient lighting in government buildings, streetlamps and traffic signals. Many programs include traditional energy-efficient building retrofit measures, such as the replacement of inefficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, water heaters, windows and insulation materials with more efficient models. In addition, three grants will fund the installation of solar panels on government buildings.

“The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program is an important part of Governor Bredesen’s strategy to invest in cost-effective energy efficiency, conservation and clean energy resources in Tennessee,” said Commissioner Kisber. “The EECBG grants will help local communities make strategic investments that create jobs and reduce energy bills in the short term and support Tennessee’s rapidly growing clean energy economy in the long term.”

The EECBG program is expected to support more than 100 Tennessee jobs and produce more than 65 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of energy savings annually, resulting in a cost-savings in excess of $5.5 million per year for Tennessee communities. The grants will also allow installers and retrofitters to gain valuable training and experience which will serve private sector companies as they expand their energy efficiency programs.

Applications were scored on the local government’s overall conservation strategy, project feasibility, readiness to proceed, community impact, partnerships and the ability to extend funding impact beyond a one-time use.

Due to the strong response from local governments, ECD’s Energy Policy Office is announcing a second round of EECBG grants that will award an additional $3.8 million to Tennessee communities. The application period for this round of EECBG grants is set for April 21 – May 21, 2010. ECD will host a free application workshop to assist local governments in the application process on Tuesday, May 4, 2010 from 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. in Nashville at the William Snodgrass Tennessee Tower, 312 Rosa L. Parks Blvd., in the Madison Room on the third floor. Attendees may register by calling (615) 741-2994.

For a copy of the second round grant application and program guidelines or for more information, please visit ECD’s EECBG Web page at http://tnecd.gov/EECBG/. For specific questions regarding the application process, please call (800) 342-1340 or e-mail ecd.energypolicy@tn.gov.

About the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development

The Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development’s mission is to create higher skilled, better paying jobs for all Tennesseans. The department seeks to attract new corporate investment in Tennessee and works with Tennessee companies to facilitate expansion and economic growth. To find out more, go to www.tn.gov/ecd or www.investtennessee.org.