City of Carbondale, several other southern Illinois entities to receive energy transition grant

CARBONDALE, Ill. (KFVS) - The city of Carbondale is one of dozens of Illinois communities and entities selected to receive an energy Transition Community Grant.

Carbondale is set to receive $80,707 from the program to address the economic and social impacts of fossil fuel plant or coal mine closures or significant reductions.

A total of $40 million will be awarded to more than 50 communities and entities across the state. Nearly half of the recipients are in southern Illinois.

According to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), the funds from the program can be used on a variety of initiatives and investments. These include workforce investments, housing support, business attraction efforts and more.

Carbondale city leaders said they will be meeting with a diverse set of stakeholders to come up with a detailed plan and budget on how the funds will be used.

“The fossil fuel industry has historically played a vital role in the region’s economy,” said Carbondale Economic Development Director Steven Mitchell. “The jobs that the industry provided offered a living wage, benefits, and a path to a better life for generations of Southern Illinoisans. The flexibility built into the grant program provides us an opportunity to begin addressing some of the issues that the loss of those jobs has created in our local economy.”

The following is a list of southern Illinois entities receiving the grant and the amounts they have been awarded:

• Carbondale Park District: $80,707
• Carrier Mills-Stonefort Community Unit School District #2: $160,918
• City of Carbondale: $160,918
• City of Eldorado: $199,319
• City of Harrisburg: $507,898
• City of Marion: $57,029
• City of Red Bud: $86,776
• Eldorado School District: $729,416
• Galatia Community Unit School District #1: $597,515
• Harrisburg Community Unit School District #3: $539,006
• Jackson County: $124,423
• John A. Logan College: $272,769
• Kinkaid Reed’s Creek Conservancy District: $84,074
• Lake Egypt Fire Protection District: $50,921
• Marion Park District: $57,029
• Massac County: $1,182,105
• Randolph County: $1,622,869
• Saline County: $859,400
• Village of Baldwin: $53,036
• Village of Carrier Mills: $116,701
• Village of Dowell: $50,517
• Village of Galatia: $745,516
• Village of Goreville: $50,199
• Williamson County: $62,511
• Williamson County Airport Authority: $62,511

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