Green grant may create new jobs in Kane County

A $2.46 million grant coming to Kane County in August may create as many as 40 jobs during the course of the next three years.

The jobs will all be so-called "green collar" opportunities as the money comes via the federal stimulus package and is earmarked to promoting and funding environmentally-friendly projects.

Depending on how the funds are eventually allocated, the bulk of the jobs will come in two areas.

The county hopes to pump a little more than $1 million of the grant money into studying ways to make county-owned facilities more energy efficient and then actually implementing those changes. Those projects alone are expected to fuel nearly 12 jobs.

The other area with the potential to create the most jobs will be improvements to the Kane County Division of Transportation's "Intelligent Transportation System." The system is basically a method of reducing traffic congestion through methods such as synchronizing traffic lights. The county hopes to pump about $600,000 into the system and create between six and 20 jobs.

County officials believe the improvements to the system should result in 6,000 fewer gallons of fuel being burned on local roadways every hour, which will also chip away at the amount of the carbon footprint those vehicles leave behind.

The county will submit the grant proposal next week, but the money has already been assured as long as the proposal is submitted. The money would come in August. The county would have all the funds obligated by February 2011. All projects would be completed by August 2012.