McCollum Commends Recovery Act Investments in Energy Efficiency in St. Paul

Contact: Maria Reppas, (202) 225-6631 / (202) 527-0149 maria.reppas@mail.house.gov Joins Launch of New Program at J&J Distributing Plant

St. Paul, MN - Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04), Senator Al Franken, and St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman will visit J&J Distributing in St. Paul to highlight the company's energy efficiency upgrades made possible by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Using Recovery Act funding, the St. Paul Port Authority has established a Trillion BTU Energy Loan Program to help Minnesota businesses and non-profit organizations save money by energy consumption by one trillion Btu's annually. This effort is one of the first in the nation to use energy conservation as an economic development tool.

St. Paul Port Authority secured $5 million from the Recovery Act for the energy-saving program. Energy savings will repay the cost of improvements and provide money for future enhancements. Ultimately, this project will improve economic competitiveness for local businesses, stimulate job creation, and conserve energy.

WHO: Congresswoman Betty McCollum (MN-04)
Senator Al Franken
St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman
WHEN: Friday, September 3, 2010, 9:00 - 10:00 AM
WHERE: J&J Distributing, 653 Rice Street, St. Paul, Minnesota 55103

Media outlets interested in attending this event are asked to RSVP to Maria Reppas at maria.reppas@mail.house.gov or 202-225-6631.

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