DUPAGE COUNTY AWARDED GRANT FOR ENERGY PROGRAMS

DuPage County has been awarded $4.6 million under the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG), issued by the United States Department of Energy.  The money will go toward the implementation of a series of twelve new programs, each designed to conserve energy and thereby save DuPage County residents' valuable tax dollars.

The first program put in place by the County will be the Commercial Recycling Program, which will engage the private sector in recycling projects.  Specifically, it will provide companies, municipalities and multi-unit dwellings throughout DuPage with recycling bins; coordinate with waste/recycling service providers to support their recycling initiatives; and increase the awareness for source reduction, resource conservation and recycling in the private sector through educational programs and presentations.

"These programs will go a long way in reducing our dependence on finite resources," said County Board Member and Chairman of the Environmental Committee, Jeff Redick (District 2).  "I am also really excited about using these resources to implement a traffic signal synchronization program.  The program, once completed, will provide valuable traffic congestion relief and decrease travel times.  The benefits produced will improve our transportation system and environment."

Some of the other programs which will be funded by the EECBG include, as mentioned by Redick, the synchronization of traffic signals, installation of energy efficient lighting in county parking garages, installation of occupancy sensors for lighting on the campus, and development and implementation of trail mapping software.

Entities interested in participating in this program can contact the County's Office of Green Initiatives at (630) 407-6700.