Navarro & Wright helped the Borough of Steelton land $250,000 worth of federal stimulus grant money for energy improvement projects at their Water Filtration Plant.
As a result of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, Pennsylvania offered $23.5 million for one-time grants, up to $250,000 per grant, for motivated local governments and non-profit entities with shovel-ready projects that would save or conserve a minimum of 25% of all energy used called PA Conservation Works.
A collaborative effort from Navarro & Wright Consulting Engineers, Inc., contractor, IEQ, Inc., and a grant writer from Community Networking Resources guided Steelton Water Authority through the process and helped identify substantial energy savings improvements at the plant which met the requirements to receive the full grant amount of $250,000. In addition to providing working capital for improvements, the grant will have a permanent payback of approximately $33,000 per year in anticipated energy savings.
Navarro & Wright and the Steelton Authority had been working on overall improvements to the plant since 2008 and during this process the PA Conservation Works grant program was unveiled.  N&W quickly became aware of the grant and the opportunity for the Steelton project to participate in gaining these funds.
“This grant was vital to the Borough of Steelton to make our plant more energy efficient while reducing our costs. Our green building improvements are the right steps for the environment and to move Steelton forward in the 21st Century,� states John DeSanto, Borough Secretary/Treasurer. “Navarro & Wright helped identify this funding source for us and guided us through every step for a successful award, added DeSanto.�
Navarro & Wright has staff with experience in major federal and state grant and loan program, including the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Federal Highway Administration (FHA) Safe Routes to School, Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), PENN VEST and many other specialized funding programs offered by state and federal agencies.
Navarro & Wright is familiar with these programs, their eligibility requirements, processes and documentation, and has good working relationships with the key administrative people who staff the funding agencies. They prepare competitive applications, resolve problems that may arise during projects, negotiate required changes, and help to keep projects on track. “Our detailed knowledge saves clients time and expense and assures that projects get the thorough administrative assistance that the funding sources require,� says Paul Navarro, President.
New one-time grant and loan programs become available frequently and Navarro & Wright stays apprised of these opportunities for their clients.  An example is the PA Energy Development Authority (PDEA) grant program which is scheduled to open in the spring of this year.  For more information about this program or how Navarro & Wright can assist with other grant or loan programs contact Mr. Bill Gralski at 717-441-2216.
