The city of Long Beach will take a giant leap toward reducing its carbon footprint with today’s announcement that the Department of Energy will award the city with $4.3 million to conduct efficiency retrofittings to local municipal and residential properties to make them more environmentally sustainable.
The money is part of the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program.
Plans to use the funds will reportedly reduce electricity use – thereby saving money, reducing fossil fuel emissions and supporting local green jobs. Among the retrofits will be the installation of efficient lighting, heating, ventilating, air conditioning, insulation and weather stripping at city facilities.
Residential rebates will also be available for energy efficient systems like hot water heaters and solar electricity panels.
“The largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions are buildings,” said Mayor Bob Foster, in a press release today. “Leveraging stimulus dollars to accomplish municipal energy efficiency retrofits and rebates is an important step toward reducing the City’s carbon footprint, benefiting the whole community.”
The funds will be managed by the city’s Office of Sustainability, with help from Public Works and Development Services.