Buffalo goes greener and leaner still as the city invests $2.7
million from the Federal Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant
(EECBG), into implementing first-phase energy conservation improvements to
city-owned buildings.
The city currently spends $11 million annually on utilities for
145 city-owned properties (if school district properties are factored in, the
cost rises to over $30 million annually).
It is anticipated that first-phase building improvements will realize
$468,000 in energy and operational savings in 30 of the 145 city-owned
properties.
In addition to traditional facility improvement measures, the
city’s plan also includes the introduction of alternative energy technologies
like solar, wind, and geothermal to many of the facilities. These new
emerging “Green” technologies will enable the city to pursue additional grants
and rebates that will grow the project and its economic impact significantly.
When the first-phase work is completed, this project will have
created 43 general trade jobs, and 35 new “Green Collar” jobs. Many
of these new “Green Collar” jobs will be targeted for local residents with
employment being coordinated through the public workforce system and community
organizations. These are good paying jobs (greater than $20 per
hour) in a demand occupation that will provide opportunities to everyone
including the underrepresented and underemployed.
The long-term objective of the city’s energy conservation effort
is to achieve a total $2.5 million in annual energy savings, implementing $25
million in energy conservation improvements to 145 city-owned buildings, which
will create 90 fulltime jobs during the implementation of the energy
conservation improvements.
Improvements
to the Broadway Market’s lights, handicap doors, and HVAC, contracted to local
businesses, should save the city over $16,000 in electricity and $3,000 in
natural gas each year while providing over $100,000 of economic impact to the
community.
“The city’s focus of this first-phase effort of a multiple phase
energy efficiency conservation program will be on shovel ready improvements to
our Community Centers, Recreation Centers, and Senior Centers,” said Mayor
Brown. “These energy conservation improvements will include upgrades or
replacement of: lighting, windows, heating, ventilating, air-conditioning,
energy management systems, solar thermal technologies, and photovoltaic
systems. We will focus on beginning these energy conservation improvements
within 90 days of receipt of these federal funds that will provide the greatest
financial savings to the city and also provide the greatest impact to our
residents.”
Joining Brown in his announcement were United States Senator
Kirsten Gillibrand, Common Council President Dave Franczyk and Congressman
Steve Israel, a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on
Energy and Water and the co-chair of the Sustainable Energy and Environment
Coalition in the House.
Senator Charles E. Schumer, Congressman Brian Higgins and
Congresswoman Louise M. Slaughter praised Buffalo’s move to use stimulus money
well in taking a step toward energy efficiency along with creating green jobs
and strengthening the regional economy.