SPRINGFIELD —The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (Illinois EPA) announced $983,750 in grant funding has been awarded to four grantees through the Illinois Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program. The Illinois EECBG Program supports municipalities and counties with the development of strategic energy or climate action plans, as well as energy efficiency audits and publicly owned building upgrades. Illinois’ EECBG program was funded by the U.S. Department of Energy through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
“The steps being taken by grantees are meant to help communities across Illinois design, update, and finalize their comprehensive energy plans,” said Illinois EPA Acting Director James Jennings. “These plans will help maximize energy reduction and Return on Investment, enable better selection of advanced, location-specific technologies, and enhance resilience to future grid demands.”
The final round of the EECBG Program funding has been awarded to the following recipients for the implementation of energy efficiency audits and projects in publicly owned buildings.
- City of Carbondale (Jackson County) – $250,000
- City of East St. Louis (St. Clair County) – $235,000
- Village of Richton Park (Cook County) – $250,000
- Crawford County – $248,750
In total, the Illinois EPA has awarded $2,820,832 to fifteen municipalities and counties across Illinois to advance local energy planning and improve building energy efficiency and resiliency, specifically in areas of environmental justice concern. Grantees have worked to set up project teams and identify and engage with local stakeholders and are in the process of collecting data to understand baseline information on their community’s energy use.
Previously announced recipients:
- April 19, 2024 – Illinois EPA Awards over $900,000 to Recipients of Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program
- June 25, 2024 – Illinois EPA Awards Additional $649,000 to Units of Local Government for Energy Planning and Efficiency Projects
- December 4, 2024 – Illinois EPA Awards Over $285,000 in Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program Funding
For more information about Illinois EPA Office of Energy programs and opportunities, please visit https://epa.illinois.gov/topics/energy.html, sign up for notices through the Office of Energy ListServ, or call 217-785-8841.