Berks County Grants Awarded for Renewable, Sustainable Energy Projects
The Met-Ed
Sustainable Energy Fund of Berks County Community Foundation has awarded
$85,000 in grants to three renewable and sustainable energy projects. Colebrookdale
Railroad Preservation Trust received $50,000 to create Colebrookdale Children’s
Educational Grove, an off-the-grid education center showcasing sustainable
energy practices. Dickinson College was granted $25,000 to construct, study and
demonstrate a commercial anaerobic digestion system for the generation of
renewable electricity from agricultural and food processing wastes at a scale
appropriate for an average Pennsylvania dairy farm. Berks History Center
received $10,000 to implement energy-saving measures in the organization’s
building based on the results of a professional energy audit.
“The impact of these grants will go far beyond
the physical costs of the projects. The off-the-grid education center is an
innovative way to teach children and adults about energy generation, while the
anaerobic digester project will give smaller dairy farms and food processors
valuable data about alternative ways to handle waste,” says Heidi Williamson,
Community Foundation senior vice president for programs and initiatives. “And
by using the results of an energy audit to guide its investments in new
systems, Berks History Center will support the environment while ensuring its
artifacts are protected.”
For
more information, visit bccf.org/sustainable-energy-fund.
