GREENE COUNTY TO RECEIVE GRANT AFTER WINNING NATIONAL CHALLENGE
News Release: January 4, 2010 Contact: Elizabeth Witte, Communications Director (724-852-5210)
WAYNESBURG, PA – Greene County will receive a $3,500 grant for winning a national contest recognizing its efforts to promote energy and fuel efficiency among county employees and residents.
Sponsored by the National Association of Counties (NACo), the Alliance to Save Energy and AutoZone, the "Drive Smarter Challenge" represented a nationwide campaign designed to help drivers decrease their gasoline costs and use. The challenge tracked the number of residents from counties nationwide who made pledges to use more fuel-efficient practices as they drive.
In Greene County, 99 county employees and residents made pledges, resulting in the county’s win in the "small county" category. In the "medium county" category, Durham County, North Carolina, won, and Volusia County, Florida., won the "large county" category. Each county won a $3,500 grant, courtesy of AutoZone.
"We are so pleased to have won this contest on a national level," said Commissioner Pam Snyder, Chair of the Board of Commissioners. "NACo is a great organization that always provides meaningful support to Greene County and other counties across the country. We are grateful for this opportunity to promote energy efficiency as a county."
Nationwide, 3,636 county employees and residents participated in the "Drive Smarter Challenge," pledging to improve gas mileage and reduce carbon emissions by promising to properly inflate tires, drive sensibly and keep vehicles in good working order.
Greene County also participated in the "Change the World, Start with ENERGY STAR" campaign, in which county employees and residents across the country vowed to replace light bulbs with ENERGY STAR-qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs. Participants also pledged to take other energy-saving actions, including purchasing ENERGY STAR-qualified products, improving home insulation and making home heating and cooling systems energy-efficient.
More than 4,500 people participated in the “Change the World, Start with ENERGY STAR" contest, with Lincoln County, Tennessee, Campbell County, Virginia., and Washoe County, Nevada, winning the "small," "medium" and "large" county categories, respectively. Each county will receive a $5,000 grant courtesy of Wal-Mart.
Fifty counties from 23 states participated in one or both of NACo’s 2009 green county competitions, which ran from July 1 to November 30. For more information, visit www.greencounties.org.
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For general information, please contact the Information Services at 724-852-5399 / Toll Free: 1-888-852-5399. County Office Building, 93 E. High Street, Waynesburg, PA 15370
