State Awards Energy-efficiency Grant To Watkins Glen

Watkins Glen, N.Y.-- The Watkins Glen Village Hall will become more energy efficient thanks to a $45,000 state grant recently announced by State Senator George H. Winner, Jr. (R-C-I, Elmira).

"Attention to energy efficiency is one of the most effective and immediate ways that we can begin to reduce the cost of government," said Winner, a member of the Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee.  "I’m pleased that the village of Watkins Glen will benefit from this state assistance."

Winner said that the grant is provided from Petroleum Overcharge Restitution (POCR) funds established from proceeds of court settlements relating to major oil company violations of federal price controls in the 1970’s and ‘80s. The New York Power Authority administers the funding.

The Watkins Glen Village Hall is currently heated by 40-year-old steam radiators controlled by a single, non-programmable thermostat. Window and split system heating and cooling units have been added to three rooms to help better control the space temperature, but an energy audit performed by the Power Authority found that the heat is still inefficiently dispersed. Winner said that the grant will be used by the village to install new thermally efficient windows and to insulate the building walls to prevent heat loss. New fluorescent lighting will also replace old incandescent bulbs to further reduce energy costs while improving area brightness.

The Power Authority estimated that when all of the measures recommended in its energy audit are completed, the village can reduce energy expenses by nearly $5,000 annually.

The Watkins Glen Village Hall was constructed in 1929. It provides office space to the village clerk, public works, police and building code departments on the first and second floors. The building also houses a court room and a large public meeting area. The entire structure, including the basement, encompasses approximately 18,000 square feet of space.