Officials from CFC and DOI signed a memorandum of understanding Aug. 30 aimed at promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy projects at its facilities.

“Co-ops have a chance to advance energy-saving projects at government facilities,” said Leslie Ebert, Strategic Projects Manager of CFC.

The initiative seeks to promote the widespread duplication of a successful partnership between Nolin Rural Electric Cooperative, Fort Knox and Trane Co. that enabled the aging military facility to reduce its energy consumption by 43 percent over ten years. Other cooperatives are also working with military bases to make similar efficiency improvements.

CFC provided a portion of the financing for the Nolin contract.

Projects eligible for financing could include new lighting, heating and air conditioning systems or other improvements that could help the DOI meet a mandated 30 percent energy reduction requirement from 2003 levels by 2015.

Likely facilities include schools located on Indian reservations and National Park Service visitor centers.

“We want to pair up the co-ops that serve Interior facilities to help the government meet its energy conservation goals,” Ebert said. The DOI’s 3 percent renewable energy benchmark for total electric consumption through 2009 will gradually increase to 7.5 percent by 2013.