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Lancaster County Greening Projects
Commentary by Craig Lehman, Lancaster County Commissioner
Whether
you are struggling with electric deregulation, concerned about
Chesapeake Bay clean-up efforts or support President Obama’s green
economy agenda, energy-related initiatives are sprouting up
everywhere.
With that
in mind, I am pleased to report on the Roof Greening Project, the
Energy, Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program and
the Regional Methane Digester Feasibility Study.
The
County’s Roof Greening Project provides grants to local businesses
developing green roof technology using the State’s Energy Harvest
Fund. So far, one project is complete and five others are expected to
be done later this year. Green roofs reduce heating and cooling costs,
reduce storm water run-off and filter pollutants.
Under the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), the County was
allocated nearly $3.8 million in EECBG Funding for various energy
conservation related projects including: installing photovoltaic and
geothermal systems at the County Environmental Center, installing a
white roof on the Courthouse Annex, initiating a computer server
virtualization project to reduce County hardware and energy costs, and
implementing two grant programs, one to help municipalities upgrade
traffic signals at intersections by installing LED lights and another
to help municipalities and non-profits conduct energy audits to
identify ways to boost energy efficiency at their facilities.
Finally,
the County recently received grants from the PA Department of
Environmental Protection, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Keith
Campbell Foundation to conduct a business model feasibility study on
developing a privately-funded regional methane digester in Lancaster
County. If successful, farmers will benefit financially from the sale
of manure; water quality in the Chesapeake Bay could improve as
nutrient loading decreases; and the alternative energy generated can
only help reduce our reliance on fossil fuels.
As these
initiatives take root, the energy and environmental benefits should be
long lasting and help conserve important resources throughout
Lancaster County.
Comment on this
Commentary - Comments should be directed to Ken Ralph, Editor of
LCDC Media at his
email address. Comments
will be posted here.
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