Carrier Mills wins award for clean energy efforts

Two projects from southern Illinois have been awarded an “Energizing Rural Communities Prize,” the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations announced Wednesday. This prize challenged small, rural communities to develop partnerships and financing strategies to improve energy systems and advance clean energy demonstration projects.

The “Coal to Solar in Carrier Mills” initiative and the “Energy Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy” partnership between the Village of Dowell and the City of Carbondale have each won $200,000 in the second phase of the competition, which supports clean energy advancements in rural communities.

“We are incredibly proud that the Village of Carrier Mills has been recognized for our work through the award of the Energizing Rural Communities Prize. Energy audits were completed on nine community buildings providing us with information on how energy upgrades and clean energy can save electricity and reduce costs for the village,” said Mayor Tracy Felty,of Carrier Mills. “With that information, we’ve initiated a pilot solar installation at our wastewater plant, and that is just the beginning of what’s possible. We are committed to continuing this journey, and we hope our efforts inspire other rural communities to pursue clean energy solutions.”

The Coal to Solar in Carrier Mills project is a collaborative effort led by the Village of Carrier Mills, Carrier Mills-Stonefort Schools District, Carrier Mills Park District, Saline County Industrial Development Corporation and Prairie Rivers Network. Over the past year, the nonprofit Prairie Rivers Network worked closely with the village and partners to explore clean energy opportunities, supported by the DOE’s prize. Carrier Mills, once a hub of coal mining, is now surrounded by former coal mine lands, some reclaimed and some that are still not to this day.

Through this initiative, energy audits were conducted by the University of Illinois’ Smart Energy Design Assistance Center on community-owned buildings such as the water treatment plant, municipal building, park district, library, and school district. Community outreach and educational efforts have also been pivotal in building support for renewable energy options. A pilot solar project at the Carrier Mills wastewater plant is underway.

“Our collaboration with the Village of Carrier Mills has proven that rural communities can take the lead in clean energy transitions,” said Amanda Pankau, director of energy and community resiliency at Prairie Rivers Network. “We hope other rural communities will take these projects and use them as they begin to navigate the energy transition.”