01.13.10

Durbin Announces Nearly $13 Million in Recovery Act Funding for Energy Efficiency and Conservation in Chicago Area

[WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced that the Department of Energy (DOE) has awarded three Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) grants to Cook County, Calumet City and the Village of Plainfield totaling $12,989,000 through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to help improve energy efficiency, reduce energy use and fossil fuel emissions, and create jobs locally.

 

“Creating jobs and securing the future of our planet are two of the aims of the Recovery Act,” said Durbin. “This funding will make a significant investment in the effort to reduce the carbon footprint of residents and businesses in the Chicagoland area, while creating the good-paying jobs that will drive our economy in the years to come.”

 

Today’s funding is part of more than $99 million allocated nationwide by the DOE today. The grants will be used for activities such as energy audits, residential and commercial building retrofits, the development and implementation of advanced building codes and inspections, and the creation of financial incentive programs for energy efficiency improvements.

 

The following local governments will receive funding:

 

  • Calumet City: $149,300 in funding.
  • Cook County: $12,696,000 in funding.
  • Village of Plainfield: $143,700 in funding.