City, MLGW Celebrate Block Grant Successes

Homeowners, Businesses Helped With Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant

This afternoon, the City of Memphis and MLGW will celebrate the success of an energy efficiency grant program that has helped weatherize nearly 900 homes and contributed to participants reducing electric bills by an average of 14 percent.

The City of Memphis Energy Efficiency & Block Grant Program, administered by Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division since 2010, was awarded by the U.S. Department of Energy as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act; of the $6.76 million allocated, MLGW received $5 million to launch a homeowner weatherization program, programmable thermostats program and perform commercial audits with the Tennessee Valley Authority.

The city and MLGW will celebrate the successes of the Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant with a reception and awards ceremony at the David F. Hansen Admin Building, 220 South Main Street, at 3 p.m. on May 2. City of Memphis Mayor A C Wharton, Jr., U.S. Congressman Steve Cohen and MLGW President & CEO Jerry Collins, Jr. will speak.

More than 6,700 applications were received for the weatherization program, and over 1,500 homeowners received weatherization measures or had up to two programmable thermostats installed in their homes. In 140 analyzed homes, there was a 14 percent average reduction in electric bills and a 17 percent average reduction in natural gas bills. The block grant also generated opportunities for minority- and women-owned businesses, which received 75 percent of the contract dollars awarded during the course of the three-and-a-half year program.