CARSON CITY, Nev. -
October 23, 2012The Nevada State Office of Energy announced today that it completed the state's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants program (EECBG), funded under the federal American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009. The Energy Office was charged with implementing several programs designed to increase Nevada's renewable energy capacity and improve energy efficiency.
Energy efficiency upgrades have given the state's municipal and county workers, along with their customers, improved office environments. In Lincoln County, the historic Caliente Depot, which houses the city and private offices, received new heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems.
Caliente mayor Keith Larson said, during the installation of the upgrades, that "I can't even express the joy I have over this project and how important it is for our community… It is one of the most successful projects we have ever engaged in, and when it is complete, we will have heating and air conditioning like never before."
In Pioche, upgrades to the heating and cooling system, as well as improvements in window treatments and insulation to the Lincoln County Courthouse, were considered by county officials to be a huge improvement to city infrastructure.
The City of Fallon installed new energy-saving street lights along Williams Street, and the city engineer noted that he received positive feedback from residents, who had commented on the improved quality in the lighting, which not only decreased the city's energy bills, but also will save the city's public works division money and manpower in the long run due to the bulbs' long life-span and the reduced need to replace bulbs.
The budget savings to cities and counties throughout the state have minimized cuts to municipal and county payrolls, which in turn helps strengthen the rural economy and stabilize the population in the smaller communities.
EECBG is one of the last ARRA-funded programs closed by the office. The program is saving about 4,407,000 kWh a year for the grant's recipients, which are primarily Nevada's rural counties and communities. This is enough energy to power nearly 400 residences for a year. Much of the equipment and material used in the energy efficiency upgrades was acquired from Nevada manufacturers and retailers.
The office was repeatedly recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy for quickly launching and finalizing ARRA-funded programs. A list of projects completed by the Energy Office is available online: http://energy.nv.gov/Programs/Completed_Projects/.