More than $920,000 Awarded in Grant Funds for Renewable Energy; Kansas Energy Office program promotes public sector use of alternative energy sources

More than $920,000 Awarded in Grant Funds for Renewable Energy;
Kansas Energy Office program promotes public sector use of alternative energy sources

Topeka, KS – Four local units of government have been awarded a total of $920,500 in federal grants through the Renewable Energy Incentives program, the Kansas Energy Office announced today.

The program utilizes $3,837,200 of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) funding, authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Local units of government were eligible to apply for grants to fund up to 25% of the development, implementation and installation of renewable energy technology, up to $250,000.

"We are thrilled to announce the awarding of these funds to some very thoughtful and environmentally sound projects,” said Ray Hammarlund, Director of the Kansas Energy Office. “These forward-thinking applicants, through the projects they have submitted, will reduce reliance on traditional energy resources."

The awards mark the latest successes for the Kansas Energy Office's programs and initiatives which have distributed more than $9.5 million in EECBG funding since 2009. Eight additional renewable energy projects are awaiting U.S. Department of Energy environmental assessments.

Public entities including state agencies, cities and counties*, public colleges and universities, community colleges and technical schools, and unified school districts were eligible to apply for grants for qualifying wind, solar, geothermal, biomass or hydropower projects.

*Cities or counties that received direct allocations through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant were not eligible.

For more information, contact the Kansas Energy Office division of the Kansas Corporation Commission at (785) 271-3352 or http://kcc.ks.gov/energy/arra/.

Grant recipients and project summaries are as follows:

Ground Source Heat Pump System
Dodge City Unified School District No. 443 – $212,500
Pittsburg State University – $250,000
Cloud County Community College – $250,000

Solar Photovoltaic System
Shawnee Mission School District USD 512 – $208,000

News Release

More than $920,000 Awarded in Grant Funds for Renewable Energy; Kansas Energy Office program promotes public sector use of alternative energy sources

More than $920,000 Awarded in Grant Funds for Renewable Energy;
Kansas Energy Office program promotes public sector use of alternative energy sources