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 Natural Awakenings Lancaster-Berks

Berks County Grants Awarded for Renewable, Sustainable Energy Projects

The Met-Ed Sustainable Energy Fund of Berks County Community Foundation has awarded $85,000 in grants to three renewable and sustainable energy projects. Colebrookdale Railroad Preservation Trust received $50,000 to create Colebrookdale Children’s Educational Grove, an off-the-grid education center showcasing sustainable energy practices. Dickinson College was granted $25,000 to construct, study and demonstrate a commercial anaerobic digestion system for the generation of renewable electricity from agricultural and food processing wastes at a scale appropriate for an average Pennsylvania dairy farm. Berks History Center received $10,000 to implement energy-saving measures in the organization’s building based on the results of a professional energy audit.

 “The impact of these grants will go far beyond the physical costs of the projects. The off-the-grid education center is an innovative way to teach children and adults about energy generation, while the anaerobic digester project will give smaller dairy farms and food processors valuable data about alternative ways to handle waste,” says Heidi Williamson, Community Foundation senior vice president for programs and initiatives. “And by using the results of an energy audit to guide its investments in new systems, Berks History Center will support the environment while ensuring its artifacts are protected.”


For more information, visit bccf.org/sustainable-energy-fund.