EDC grants $312K for renewable energy

PROVIDENCE – The R.I. Economic Development Corporation (EDC) Board of Directors voted Monday to partly fund the installation of two solar systems and a wind turbine using money from the state’s Renewable Energy Fund, which the EDC administers.

The board approved $115,709 for a 60-kilowatt solar system on the roof of the Gem Plumbing & Heating Co. Inc. headquarters in Lincoln. The system will be both a source of electricity for the building and a training tool for employees. GEM said it expected to provide 650 training hours to about 50 employees.

The project’s total cost is estimated at $385,697. It is also slated to receive $52,069 from a federal energy grant, with the remainder paid for by Gem.

The board also approved $59,000 to help pay for a 50-kilowatt solar system for the new Cole Middle School in East Greenwich. The town will chip in another $170,800, and the R.I. Department of Education will contribute $73,200.

Separately, the board granted $137,500 to the R.I. Department of Environmental Management (DEM) to erect a 100-kilowatt wind turbine at Fishermen’s Memorial State Park in Narragansett.

The grant is contingent upon DEM securing another $137,500, which it hopes to get from programs created by the economic stimulus law enacted in February. DEM also plans to contribute $275,000 from its own coffers.

DEM said it anticipates the turbine supplying two-thirds of the park’s electricity needs.

Additional information is available at riedc.com.