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Stimulus targets catch local officials by surprise
Youngstown and Warren are the only communities in the area getting energy stimulus funding.
YOUNGSTOWN — The announcement that the federal economic stimulus package included money for energy efficiency and conservation projects took city officials in Youngstown and Warren by surprise.
But they’ll gladly take the money.
Youngstown will receive $744,300, and Warren is getting $196,700 from the federal fund to make residential and commercial structures more energy-efficient by reducing total energy use and fossil fuel emissions, according to a U.S. Department of Energy announcement Thursday.
“We don’t have a weatherization plan in Warren,” said Michael Keys, the city’s department of community development director. “We didn’t know we were receiving funding. It’s a great opportunity to start a program. We’ll wait till the guidelines come out to determine what we’ll do. I’m not sure how it works.”
Youngstown Mayor Jay Williams is somewhat familiar with the program, but the announcement Thursday surprised him.
The Mahoning Youngstown Community Action Partnership handles the city’s weatherization program.
The city will discuss what to do with the federal stimulus money for energy efficiency and conservation with MYCAP and come up with a plan, Williams said.
The White House and the Department of Energy on Thursday announced $3.2 billion worth of these projects nationwide, including $84.2 million for Ohio and $102.5 million for Pennsylvania. The funding is part of the $787 billion federal stimulus package.
Youngstown and Warren are the only communities in the Mahoning and Shenango valleys to receive any money from this energy efficiency program. They are the region’s two most populated cities.
Funding for the program was determined by the Department of Energy using a formula based on population and energy use.
The money, according to the Department of Energy, would pay for energy-efficient programs in residential and community buildings, the development and implementation of advanced building codes and inspections, and the creation of financial incentive programs for energy efficiency improvements.
The Department of Energy would provide guidance to and require recipients of the energy money to report on the number of jobs created and/or retained, energy saved, renewable energy capacity installed and greenhouse gas emissions reduced.
skolnick@vindy.com