Illinois Releases Funds for Energy Efficiency Upgrades at Water Treatment Plants

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency is making $750,000 in grant funding available for the development and completion of energy efficiency projects at public water supply facilities across the state.

The grants, drawn from U.S. Department of Energy Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funds, will enable local governments to make energy efficiency upgrades to water equipment identified by previous energy audits. 

The funded projects will reduce the amount of energy consumed by water treatment operations, thereby reducing energy costs. Grant applications will undergo a comprehensive, merit-based review.

Scoring factors will include cost effectiveness, energy cost impact savings, energy rate and projects located in environmental justice areas of concern. 

Application materials are available on the Illinois EPA website. The application period closes at 5 p.m. on Feb. 2.

“Illinois EPA has been fortunate to provide similar energy efficiency grants to wastewater treatment facilities in Illinois, and we are excited to be able to expand funding to public water supply treatment facilities,” said Illinois EPA Director John J. Kim in a written statement. 

“We look forward to investing in energy efficiency upgrades at systems that provide clean, dependable drinking water to Illinois residents,” Kim said.

The Illinois EPA Office of Energy is investing Department of Energy IIJA funds in projects across the state that focus on energy efficiency, resiliency and clean energy technologies specifically in areas of environmental justice concern. 

In addition, Illinois EPA works with the Smart Energy Design Assistance Center and the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center to help municipalities save energy and reduce the cost of supplying public water and wastewater treatment through no-cost energy usage assessments from the two agencies.

Dan can be reached at [email protected] and @DanMcCue