| City gets piece of the federal stimulus package energy pie |
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| Wednesday, 08 April 2009 | |
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Managing editor Coon Rapids has received a piece of the federal stimulus pie. The city has been awarded a $562,700 Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). This allocation is part of more than $2.6 billion in formula grants available nationwide from the DOE through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The formula grants are targeted at projects that reduce total energy use and fossil fuel emissions as well as improve energy efficiency nationwide. Coon Rapids was the recipient of a grant because it is a large city in a large county in the state. Anoka County was awarded $1,896,100 in federal stimulus dollars. According to Steve Gatlin, Coon Rapids public services director, the grant came as a pleasant surprise. “When we ask for money, we don’t get it,” Gatlin said. “When we don’t ask, we get some.” The city has until June 25 to make formal application for the grant dollars, specifying the projects for which it plans to use the money. The DOE’s project management team will review each application to ensure that “the grantee has developed a strategy for the use of funds with activities eligible under the program and that the proposed budgets are acceptable,” according to its Web site. A likely project that the city will submit with the grant application is more energy efficient lighting for city buildings and parking lots, Gatlin said. For the parking lots, an automatic dimmer would be installed for the lighting and for city buildings motion sensors would be put in place to automatically turn on lights when a person goes into restrooms in city buildings, then turn them off when they leave, he said. In addition, Gatlin said the city may well include in it application a project to install LED traffic signals on several roads, including Coon Rapids and Crooked Lake boulevards. This carries an estimated price tag of $250,000 and was originally included in the city’s application for federal stimulus package transportation dollars to the Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT). “That does not look like it will be approved for funding,” Gatlin said. The LED signal project would be energy efficient and lead to energy savings, he said. According to the DOE Web site, the grant program “represents a presidential priority to deploy the cheapest, cleanest and fastest energy source energy efficiency.” Peter Bodley is at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it |
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