Georgetown, Del., Aug. 18, 2009: Sussex County will use a $40,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Energy to develop a strategy to conserve and improve its use of energy, a plan that could earn the County an additional $648,000 to put its findings into practice.

County Administrator David B. Baker announced the award Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2009, during County Council’s weekly meeting. The grant, among the first 20 in the nation, comes by way of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009, also known as the ‘stimulus’ package.

The County will use the grant to hire a consultant who will construct a strategy based on the County’s energy consumption and needs. The strategy must be submitted by Nov. 30.

If approved, the federal government would release a second block of funding, totaling approximately $648,000, to the County to carry out the strategy’s goals, including recommendations for improving energy efficiency as well as reducing emissions. Some ways to do that could include the installation of higher efficiency lighting fixtures in County buildings to evaluating and upgrading heating and cooling systems, as well as encouraging the use of renewable energy and ‘green’ technology.

“Energy consumption and conservation are hot topics right now, but they’re always a concern for businesses and government because both affect your budget,” Mr. Baker said. “We hope to learn, through this process, how we’re using energy and what we can do better to manage our usage. The ultimate goal is to improve the bottom line for the taxpayers of Sussex County.”

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