Grants will finance home efficiency

Some of Omaha’s older buildings and homes could become more energy-efficient thanks to a $10 million grant from the U.S. Energy Department.

The grant was awarded to Omaha and Lincoln in May.

The Omaha City Council approved a measure accepting the grant 7-0 Tuesday.

Omaha will receive about two-thirds of the money; Lincoln will get the rest, said Kristi Wamstad-Evans, the City of Omaha’s sustainability coordinator.

Milo Mumgaard, Lincoln’s senior policy aide for sustainability, could not be reached Friday for comment.

Omaha and Lincoln officials teamed up to apply for the funding, which is part of President Barack Obama’s federal stimulus package. They competed against other cities and states for a chunk of the more than $450 million set aside for the program.

The U.S. Department of Energy received more than 180 applications. Only 25, including Omaha and Lincoln, were selected, Wamstad-Evans said.

In Omaha, 2,129 houses and 175 commercial and public buildings will receive energy audits. In Lincoln, 1,064 houses and 88 buildings will participate.

Wamstad-Evans said such audits help homeowners make their homes more energy-efficient, offering information on how to improve their home’s energy efficiency and how to qualify for financing, rebates and other programs.

Omaha officials also plan to work with some owners who live in older homes on retrofitting them with building materials to increase energy efficiency, she said. The first targeted homes and buildings will be in north and South Omaha, and later, in Benson and Orchard Hill.

Later this year, the City of Omaha will announce details on how people can enroll, Wamstad-Evans said.

World-Herald staff writer Sarah Reinecke contributed to this report.

Contact the writer:

444-3100, maggie.obrien@owh.com

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