The Rhode Island Infrastructure Bank has named the communities that will get its first awards.
The Providence Journal says $17.2 million will be provided by the government program for projects in Cranston, Newport, Pawtucket, Providence, West Warwick and Westerly. The projects, the story says, will create 263 jobs and lead to energy savings totally more than $20 million.
The story focuses on projects in Pawtucket. They will feature installation of LED streetlights, high efficiency boilers and windows, interior LEDs and programmable WiFi thermostats in municipal buildings. The projects will cost $3.9 million and are expected to save $750,000 annually.
The nation’s first offshore wind farm is set begin operations off the coast of Block Island, RI. Deepwater Wind will power about 17,000 homes beginning this fall, according to the Berkshire Eagle.