Hydropower and Energy Efficiency Receive Top Honors as Harford County’s 1st Green Star of the Year

From Harford County government:

To encourage sustainability within Harford County, County Executive David R. Craig formed the Green Team, as one of his Environmental Initiatives. The goal of the Green Team is to guide energy and resource efficiency practices within the County. To foster a culture of sustainability, in June 2010 the Green Team created the Green Star Program to recognize actions by county employees that demonstrate a commitment to environmental stewardship, promote energy efficiency and resource management.

The first year of the Green Star Program was a great success encouraging sustainability among county employees and ended with 43 Green Stars recognizing 75 employees. Together with Mary F. Chance – the Director of Administration, the Green Team and the Facility Energy Coordinators two Green Stars were identified that best exemplified a commitment to sustainability: Aimee Harris of the Department of Parks and Recreation along with the Micro Hydro Volunteer Team and Elizabeth Meadows of the Department of Community Services.

Aimee Harris, Department of Parks and Recreation and the “Micro Hydro Team” were selected for the Green Star of the Year for their work with the Eden Mill Nature Center hydroelectric turbine project. This project explored the restoration of the Mill’s hydroelectric capabilities as a way to use renewable energy to power the Mill.

Elizabeth Meadows, Department of Community Services was also selected for the Green Star of the Year for coordinating the Department of Energy’s Energy Efficiency & Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) – Harford County received a federal grant under the EECBG Program funded for the first time under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.

This Program provides funds to develop and implement projects to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy use and fossil fuel emissions. The County identified and developed twelve projects within the County Government that will improve energy efficiency and reduce our energy usage.

To learn more about the Green Star Program and to see all of our Green Stars, you can visit the Sustainability Office webpage at http://www.harfordcountymd.gov/Green/.