Wyden, Merkley Announce Federal Investment to Help Clean Energy Transition in Jackson County

Wyden, Merkley Announce Federal Investment to Help Clean Energy Transition in Jackson County

City of Medford awarded an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant for $143,430

Washington D.C.-U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today announced a federal investment of $143,430 for the City of Medford to improve energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and lower overall energy use.

"The climate crisis demands action at every level in order to fight its dangerous effects such as wildfires, floods, severe storms and more," Wyden said. "Local assistance for making an effective and efficient transition to a cleaner economy is essential to meet these goals. I applaud the City of Medford for earning this federal investment, and I will fight to deliver similar resources to communities across Oregon."

"The push for a sustainable future starts with empowering our local communities to lead the way," said Merkley. "The City of Medford's efforts to enhance energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse gas emissions are critical in our fight against climate chaos. I will continue to advocate for the necessary federal resources to help all Oregonians achieve a cleaner, more resilient future."

The federal investment is from the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program. The City of Medford will use this funding to establish a plan for baseline for energy use, identify how to reduce consumption and emissions, and develop an equity framework for prioritizing actions and investments while engaging and educating community members.

"On behalf of the City of Medford, I want to thank Senator Wyden and Senator Merkley for their unwavering support and the U.S. Department of Energy for awarding us over $143,000 through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) Program. This funding will help us continue to implement sustainable strategies to improve energy efficiency in the community," said Randy Sparacino, Mayor of the City of Medford.

Wyden and Merkley have worked to allocate more resources to help transition to a clean energy economy. Earlier this month, Merkley and Wyden announced over $5 million for clean energy projects across Oregon. Wyden recently sent a letter to the Biden Administration calling for a more reliable green energy grid to meet the increased demand from new manufacturing spurred by the CHIPS Act. In April, Merkley and Wyden announced $4.5 million for clean energy projects in rural Oregon to help lower costs.