By Chicago Times Magazine –

August 29, 2024

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) announced yesterday that it has awarded a total of $483,790 to three public water supply facilities to support energy-efficient upgrades. These grants, distributed through the Public Water Supply Energy Efficiency Grant Program, will help reduce energy consumption and operating costs for these facilities.

The selected projects include lighting and control upgrades, pump or drive replacements and optimizations, and HVAC modifications. Collectively, these upgrades are estimated to save over 715,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity annually.   

According to IEPA, the recipients of this round of awards are the City of Aurora ($101,790), the City of Highland Park ($328,000), and the City of Springfield ($54,000).

The funding for this program was made possible by the US Department of Energy’s State Energy Program, as part of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The IEPA’s Office of Energy provides resources and technical assistance to help public water facilities reduce energy waste and improve overall energy efficiency.