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Durham wins $1.5 million federal award to retrofit homes and cut emissions
Summary
Durham County accepted a $1.5 million Department of Energy award to launch a three‑year Energy Burden and Emissions Reduction Program (EBERP) that aims to retrofit at least 200 income‑qualified homes at no cost, target Justice40 neighborhoods and hire neighborhood ambassadors.
Durham County accepted a $1,500,000 Department of Energy award to launch an Energy Burden and Emissions Reduction Program (EBERP) that county staff said will fund residential energy‑efficiency retrofits across a three‑year period.
"The goal is to upgrade at least 200 total homes and the retrofits will actually be at no cost for income qualified homeowners and households," Megan Pindell, the county sustainability specialist and EBERP program manager, told the Board of County Commissioners. Tobin Fried, the county sustainability manager, said Durham was one of 12 awardees and the county’s award was the program’s largest single grant.
The county said the neighborhood‑based program will prioritize communities identified under the federal Justice40 initiative and will include neighborhood ambassadors, contractor training and a community energy fellow funded for 18 months. Project partners will provide marketing, outreach, loan services, contractor management and data analysis; staff said the work will begin once the contract with DOE is signed (expected this month) and that on‑the‑ground retrofits are targeted to start in the first half of 2025.
Commissioners praised the equity focus and the use of neighborhood ambassadors to recruit participants. The board accepted a ceremonial check during the meeting; staff called the program an effort to reduce both household energy bills and greenhouse‑gas emissions while stabilizing neighborhoods.
