September 18, 2009 – Mayor Domenic J. Sarno announced today that he has sponsored an order that will go before the Springfield City Council on Monday, September 21, 2009, urging the Council to authorize the City’s acceptance of a U.S. Department of Energy Grant in the amount of $1,498.200.
As part of Mayor Sarno’s continuing efforts to reduce the City’s energy consumption and green house gases, the City of Springfield applied for and has received notification of an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) under the U.S. Department of Energy.
The block grant, funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 will be used to upgrade boilers, install energy management systems, and set up solar panels to heat domestic hot water. The grant will also pay for a full-time Energy Conservation Manager who will serve to oversee these and other energy conservation measures in city buildings.
Mayor Sarno stated that “this funding will allow the City to target municipal buildings in an attempt to optimize energy savings.” “Going green, whether it’s in economic development, jobs, initiatives or energy efficiency, is something that has been a key priority of my administration,” stated Sarno. “Energy efficiency allows the City to move towards environmental stewardship and allows the City to recognize cost savings,” added Sarno.