The Green Building Alliance, the City of Pittsburgh Department of City Planning, the Energy Innovation Center, and Duquesne Light Company, have secured a grant of technical assistance from the U.S. Department of Energy to assess environmentally compromised vacant lots of public land in the Hill District as potential renewable energy generation locations.
The technical opportunity grant is presented via the Communities Local Energy Action Program (LEAP) pilot, offered jointly by DOE’s Offices of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Electricity, Policy, Fossil Energy and Carbon Management, Indian Energy, and Economic Impact and Diversity.
This pilot initiative complements DOE’s ongoing efforts to deliver the benefits from clean energy research, development, demonstration, and deployment to environmental justice communities and communities with historical ties to fossil fuel industries.
“In Pittsburgh, 61 percent of the housing stock is over 100 years old,” says Executive Director Jenna Cramer. “The majority of these homes are energy inefficient, with high maintenance costs due to aging systems and higher year-round energy bills. This creates a disproportionate financial burden to Hill residents, 40% of which are living under the poverty line. By assessing opportunities to retrofit older homes and generating clean, renewable energy on site, we would be able to pass on savings to those living in the Hill District, while also contributing to a healthier community for all.”
Read the full article on PA Environmental Digest’s website.
