HARRISBURG - The Pennsylvania Energy Development Authority (PEDA) Wednesday approved a grant of more than $114,000 to Northumberland County to assist in converting the county courthouse to a natural gas heating system. The authority approved the grant as a result of advocacy by state Sen. John R. Gordner (R-27) and Reps. Lynda Schlegel-Culver (R-108) and Kurt Masser (R-107), according to a press release from Gordner's officer.
The project will involve conversion of the courthouse's 30-year-old oil heating system with a more efficient and cleaner natural gas furnace. The $164,000 project is expected to save the county more than $1 million in heating costs over the expected 30-year life of the furnace.
"This is something that we have talked about since after the election in order to help cut costs," Commissioner Rick Shoch, who handles facility matters for the board of commissioners, said. "We've had money budgeted for this project since last year, but wanted to apply for the grant to help save some money and offset the cost."
Shoch said he believes that some work has already started to get ready for the project, including pulling out the old furnaces.
Estimates from the U.S. Department of Energy puts natural gas costs much lower than heating oil. In a comparison chart on its website, the cost to use one million BTUs of heating energy with natural gas is approximately four times cheaper then heating oil.
In addition to lowering the county's energy footprint and reducing energy costs, the project will maintain the historic nature of the courthouse, which was built in 1865 and is on the National Register of Historic Places, the release said.
"There is some masonry work being done on chimney inside and outside it, and that work will help to improve some of the infrastructure of the courthouse and keep it operational," said Northumberland County Planning director Pat Mack, who helped write the grant application.
PEDA is an independent public financing authority created by the General Assembly in 1982. Its mission is to fund clean, advanced energy projects in the Commonwealth. The grant awarded today is funded from the Growing Greener II bond program as part of an initiative to assist counties with clean energy projects.