Raleigh moves toward a greener future with energy conservation initiatives

The Raleigh City Council recently approved a slate of energy efficiency and conservation programs that the city plans to undertake with a $3.82 million block grant from the U.S. Department of Energy that's part of the federal economic stimulus package. Among the initiatives the money would fund are loan programs for home weatherization and commercial energy efficiency initiatives, a pilot program to boost recycling, and electric vehicle recharging stations.

Meanwhile, the city recently completed its first outdoor lighting project combining light-emitting diode (LED) technology with solar renewable energy in place of traditional dirty electric sources like nuclear and coal plants. LEDs are electronic lights that consume less energy and last longer than traditional lightbulbs and even compact fluorescents. Progress Solar Solutions of Apex installed the sun-powered lights at the city Parks and Recreation Department's Marsh Creek remote operations facility near New Hope Road and Daly Road in eastern Raleigh.

"Energy costs for municipalities can be significant," said Julian Prosser, assistant city manager. "Our sustainability team is a strong advocate of adopting proven, high-performance technologies that can save local taxpayers on energy costs and at the same time protect the environment by reducing carbon emissions. We are excited about the opportunity to move to a cost-effective, renewable energy alternative. It seems like a win-win for everyone."

(Photo of the new LED lights in the parking lot of the Marsh Creek facility from the city's website.)