nnpdc home > projects > energy efficiency and conservation

 

Energy Efficiency and Conservation

SUMMARY

The Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG) program is intended to help local governments, cities and counties, implement strategies to encourage energy efficiency and renewable energy initiatives. The program emphasizes a community-based approach to help meet energy and climate-protection goals. $9.7 million in grant funding is available on a competitive basis to small local governments. Virginia’s 21 Planning District Commissions will administer the program and assist localities in the development of proposals, which will be ranked and awarded by the Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy in the fall of 2009. Two Northern Neck applications received funding: A regional revolving-loan fund for home energy improvements ($421,179), and a Town of White Stone energy efficiency and conservation strategy development ($ 52,250).

 

ACTIVITY

 

2011-09-07

Bay Housing is currently working on the weatherization of homes in Lancaster County and Westmoreland County.

 

2010-09-29

Meeting in Charlottesville with representatives from the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME) and the U.S. Department of Energy to go over monitoring and compliance requirements of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG) received by the Northern Neck. Staff from the Northern Neck Planning District Commission (NNPDC) and Bay Aging have met twice to discuss the structure of the revolving-loan program and weatherization work that will go with it.

 

2010-03-23

Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, Virginia’s Chief Jobs Creation Officer, announced today, on behalf of Governor Bob McDonnell, that $13.2 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program is being awarded to 39 energy conservation projects proposed by local governments. Two of these are for Northern Neck projects (a regional revolving loan fund for home energy improvements, $421,179; and a Town of White Stone energy efficiency and conservation strategy development, $ 52,250).

 

2009-11-10

Several Northern Neck localities took advantage of the opportunity to apply for Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant funding. Among the projects requesting funding:

1) An LED Lighting Demonstration Project for the Town of Warsaw's Courthouse Square Complex.

2) An Energy Efficiency and Conservation Strategy for the Town of White Stone's Comprehensive Plan, including a light-bulb demonstration project.

3) A regional recycling pilot project for the school districts of the Northern Neck.

4) A regional Weatherization Expansion Program to retrofit homes with the assistance of 0%-interest loans from a revolving-loan program.

5) The Mary Ball Road Neighborhood Improvement Project and Energy Efficiency Upgrade in the Town of Kilmarnock.

6) A Solar Power Demonstration and Learning Center at the Northern Neck Farm Museum in Northumberland County.

7) The implementation of energy-conservation measures prescribed by a technical energy audit of all school buildings in Lancaster County.

All together, the applications have requested close to $900,000 in funding from the Stimulus Package program that is being administered by Virginia's Department of Mines, Minerals and Energy (DMME). If all applications get funded, they are expected to create twenty jobs in the region, save 3,933,682 Kilowatt-hours per year in energy consumption, and provide an annual reduction of 2,895 metric tons in the production of carbon dioxide.

The Northern Neck Planning District Commission assisted with several of these applications. Grant awards are expected to be announced in the next two months, once DMME reviews and scores the applications.

 

2009-10-13 and 14

The Northern Neck Planning District Commission offered a workshop on these two days to discuss EECBG opportunities with representatives from the localities and from various organizations. Potential applications mentioned at the workshop:

      • A regional recycling program at all schools, organized by RC&D and SWCD for the four counties of the Northern Neck
      • A street-lights demonstration project using LED lights
      • Inclusion of an "Energy Element" in a locality's comprehensive plan now being revised
      • An energy-efficient HVAC system for a public building now under construction

 

 

.