Washington, DC – Today, United States Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) lauded the White House’s announcement that more than $20 million is headed to California for energy efficiency upgrades that will reduce energy use and create jobs in Los Angeles and Sacramento Counties.
 
The funding is part of nearly $93 million awarded today through the Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program, which was funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
 
Los Angeles County will receive more than $15.4 million to retrofit buildings with critical energy efficiency upgrades to reduce energy use, water use and carbon emissions.  Los Angeles will also use the funding to implement its Green Building Ordinance for new residential and commercial buildings as well as help Los Angeles County develop a climate action plan that will create a greenhouse gas emissions target and a plan to reduce regional emissions.
 
Sacramento County will receive almost $5.4 million to help pay for energy audits and energy efficiency retrofits on county-owned and leased facilities.  The upgrades will yield energy savings to help fund the program for at least the next five years.  These upgrades are also expected to cut the county’s greenhouse gas emissions by more than 4,700 metric tons.
 
Senator Boxer said, “I am so pleased that Los Angeles and Sacramento Counties will receive these grants, which could not come at a more critical time.  This funding will help create jobs, reduce global warming pollution and help California continue to lead the way toward our country’s new, clean-energy future.”