Dona Ana County nabs $2.5M federal grants for climate change resilience

DONA ANA COUNTY, N.M. (KFOX14/CBS4) — New Mexico Democratic Senators Martin Heinrich and Ben Ray Luján, together with Democratic New Mexico U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez, announced Monday that Las Cruces and Dona Ana County were awarded two federal grants totaling $2.47 million from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to address changing climate.
 

The DOE awarded $470,000 to the City of Las Cruces for its Plugged in for Good (PIFG) Energy Alliance project, which aims to lower energy costs for low-income families, protect New Mexicans from extreme heat events, and foster a clean energy workforce.

This grant award will be a tremendous boost for some of our residents, particularly those who live in Las Cruces’ older, more established neighborhoods,” said Las Cruces Mayor Eric Enriquez. “This grant is designed to help them retrofit and modernize the homes they have worked so hard to own. The improvements to their homes will make them more energy efficient and will improve the quality of life for their families. I am excited about the potential opportunities this grant could present for our hard-working residents.

Similarly, Lisa LaRocque, City Sustainability Officer said, “Senator Heinrich and federal leadership is committed to an energy future that will have a positive impact on all of us. Inspired by this vision, the Plugged in For Good Energy Alliance, made up of local stakeholders and community residents, created an innovative and equitable strategy that increases home energy retrofits, job security, economic development, and green material supply chains.”

For information about the $470,000 federal grant from DOE, click here.