Allegheny County will use $8.1 million in federal stimulus funding to conduct energy audits of county municipal buildings and offer energy-saving upgrades to County-owned municipal facilities.
Duquesne Light will partner with the county on the audits, which will include a review of lighting systems, heating and air conditioning, computer systems and the overall thermal envelope. About $2 million will be spent on the upgrades; eligibility will be based on the percentage of low and moderate income population in each municipality.
Another $5.8 million will be spent on conservation projects at the Courthouse, County Office Building, Jail, Shuman Center and Kane Regional Centers. The reduced energy consumption should save taxpayers an estimated $500,000 annually, the county says.
Allegheny County has also hired Jeaneen Zappa as the region’s first sustainability manager. Zappa will work with County departments and the Green Action Team to identify ways to improve the region’s ecological footprint.
The greening of the county “will result in significant energy conservation projects in local government facilities throughout Allegheny County, which will translate into savings for taxpayers and jobs for local workers,” says County Executive Dan Onorato.
In other green news,
BikePGH hopes to clean the local air this summer by expanding its Bike to Work Day to an every week event.
Car Free Fridays will start on June 12, a city-wide initiative to encourage commuters to leave their cars at home once a week and walk, bike or take public transportation. The event is sponsored by Port Authority and
Mullen. And Pittsburgh’s first green concert series is back, bigger and better than ever. The free, outdoor
Solar Concert Series will feature 13 shows powered by a solar-energy sound system. For concert information, click
here.
To receive Pop City free each week, click
here.
Writer:
Debra Diamond SmitSource: Dan Onorato, Kevin Lane, Allegheny County; Bike Pittsburgh