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Energy-saving projects the city of Charlotte hopes to pay for with federal grants will go before the public Thursday night.
The city has to submit an energy strategy by Dec. 4 to become eligible for the first half of $6.5 million in available Energy Department grants. City Council will review the plans on Nov. 23.
The 18 projects included in the strategy are aimed at reducing fossil-fuel emissions, saving energy, creating jobs and increasing the use of renewable technologies such as solar power.
The projects would create 88 to 147 jobs, the city estimates. They would save 41 million kilowatt-hours of energy, reduce annual greenhouse-gas emissions by 37,000 metric tons and save $2.5 million a year – estimates based on federal formulas that city officials say might not reflect actual savings.
Among the projects:
Energy-efficiency and weather-tightening improvements in 100 low-income homes: $600,000.
Retrofits of commercial buildings and apartment complexes: $1.2 million.
Installation of up to 10 electric-vehicle charging stations in uptown and along transit routes, and purchase of three to five EVs for city staff: $240,000.
Bicycle-safety improvements at the Wendover Road/Beal Street intersection: $120,000.
Energy-efficiency upgrades at Charlotte-Mecklenburg Utilities Brookshire office building: $648,000.
Geothermal heating and cooling at the new Providence police station: $162,000.
The full list is online at www.charlottenc.gov.
The projects were winnowed from among 250 recommendations gathered at a September public meeting, talks with business and community leaders and suggestions filed online.
Thursday's meeting at the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center will begin at 6:30 p.m. with an overview of the energy strategy, followed by public comment. The meeting will be broadcast on Time Warner Cable channel 16 and online at www.charlottenc.gov.
