Urban Caucus Chairman Vows More Help for Nation's Largest Counties

WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Rep. Chaka Fattah (D-PA),
chairman of the Congressional Urban Caucus, has carried his advocacy for
energy efficiency and conservation to leaders of the nation's largest
counties.

Fattah, speaking today to the National Association of Counties' Large Urban
County Caucus (LUCC) in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., pledged to work with the
elected county executives to obtain additional Congressional support for the
grants for major urban energy and conservation programs.

Fattah, a member of the House Appropriations Committee, has been a leading
Congressional advocate for Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants
(EECBG). He hailed the recent announcement by the U.S. Department of Energy to
provide $93 million in Recovery stimulus grants for efficiency and
conservation grants to six cities, including $14.1 million for Philadelphia.

"Energy efficiency and conservation grants have been high on the priority list
for our cities and our great urban counties," Fattah said. "I'm pleased to
have advocated for these vital programs and to see these funds flowing into
the metropolitan areas."

The Congressman said he looks forward to "working with the Urban County Caucus
and your new leadership on all your priorities including transportation,
energy efficiency, housing and more." He said, "Clean energy and energy
efficiency incentives will have far-reaching impact in our metropolitan areas,
creating jobs at the same time these projects improve the environment and
lifestyles of all our citizens."

In Philadelphia, the grant funds will be invested over the next 18 months in
municipal sustainability and conservation projects such as low-energy LED
lights at 85,000 traffic signals, solar panels at the sewage treatment plant
and on-street solar compactors and recycling units. The firm that operates the
city's incentive-based recycling program will receive $700,000, and $5.8
million goes for a revolving fund of grants and loans for energy-efficiency
retrofitting at businesses and nonprofits.

The LUCC is a bipartisan coalition of elected officials from the nation's 100
largest urban counties, representing 130 million people, almost half of the
nation's population. Fattah addressed the county officials by videoconference
from Capitol Hill.

SOURCE Office of Congressman Chaka Fattah

Ron Goldwyn of the Office of Congressman Chaka Fattah, +1-215-387-6404,
+1-215-913-0972