January–February 1999 Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Conway

Rose:

Reinventing

LaGrange

Conway Rose has a vision for LaGrange, North Carolina,

a turn-of-the-century town of 3,500 that has been in

decline for 30 years. He looks beyond neglected and

abandoned buildings and sees a self-sustaining town that

can restore its historic buildings -- built between 1890 and

1915 -- and create an environment that will be good for

business and an appealing destination for visitors.

The Mom and Pop businesses of LaGrange have long

since collapsed in the face of competition from the big

chains. And 15 years ago the opening of Highway 70,

which bypasses the town,seemed to seal its fate. Nearly

all of the historic buildings on the main street of town

stood vacant,padlocked and forgotten until Conway Rose

entered the picture.

Rose is and has been many things in his life:historian,

archaeologist,general contractor,restorer of historic

structures,recreational pilot,nationally certified antiques

appraiser,WWII Okinawa veteran,and the leading North

Carolina authority on the Tuscarora Indians.

Here’s one more:leader of the LaGrange

Redevelopment Foundation,a Rebuild America

Continued on page 3 

DOE/EE-0183

Tap the Power of Peers

Tax Credits Preserve

History

Funding your Projects

Ohio and Iowa

Continued on page 2

When the New Jersey State Aquarium

wanted to upgrade its facility,Rebuild

Camden County, New Jersey,the

local Rebuild America partnership,

helped make it happen.

Over the next 15 years,the state-of-theart aquarium will save $5.6 million,

thanks to the improvements

recommended,designed and installed by

Rebuild Camden County and ONSITE

SYCOM,a national energy service

company that serves as lead partner.

Located on the Delaware River

waterfront just a mile from the Liberty

Bell,New Jersey’s Aquarium features a

760,000-gallon Open Ocean Tank that

can accommodate tuna swimming at

speeds of 35 mph. Other attractions

include a simulated rain forest,Shark

Zone,Seal Shores,a Caribbean beach and

coral reef exhibits.

The Camden County Improvement

Authority provided a loan to finance the

$2.25 million of improvements,

including the retrofit of an aging chiller

and the installation of energy-efficient

lighting,a natural gas chiller,and variable

frequency drives.

Mind the Sharks – 

Aquarium Saving Money 

to Improve Exhibits

Conway Rose
Rebuild America is proud to add these 10

new partnerships to the many communities 

and businesses nationwide that are saving 

money through energy efficiency.

View from DC

By Mark Bailey

Now is the time to get your applications in for

the U.S.Department of Energy’s State Energy

Program (SEP) Special Projects. Of the $13.8

million available,$1.25 million is set aside for

Rebuild America projects. Awards will range

from about $50,000 to $150,000 each.

For Rebuild America,Special Projects

proposals should focus on at least one of the

following objectives:

❶ Establish/continue a state role as program

representative.

❷ Support partnership proposals that

strengthen the program.

Proposals must be submitted to your DOE

Regional Support Office by April 1,1999.

Projects will be selected based on evaluation

criteria listed in the SEP notice. The notice can

be found at www.eren.doe.gov/buildings/state_

and_community/sep/fy99/sepsp99-forum. For

more information,contact your Rebuild America

regional team leader.

Playing A Vital Role

Thirty-three states,three territories and the

District of Columbia are Rebuild America

partnerships. They are a vital part of Rebuild

America’s efforts to help communities capture

the benefits of energy efficiency.

For example,Rebuild Idaho is becoming the

“foundation program”for statewide and

community-based conservation efforts. Program

Manager Sue Seifert foresees Rebuild Idaho

helping communities,school districts,business

and industry develop sound,long-term resourceuse strategies that enable real energy savings and

economic development.

We applaud states and territories for their

dedication and expertise in making that happen,

in Idaho and across the country.

Mark Bailey is the Rebuild America national

program manager.

The Aquarium also qualified for

participation in a PSE&G utility incentive

program. The $4.1 million utility incentive,

combined with projected energy savings,

will generate revenues of approximately

$8.8 million. A portion of the revenues

will be used to pay off the loan,while

remaining savings can be applied to the

upkeep and expansion of existing exhibits

and for new projects.

More Projects Underway

In addition to working with the

Aquarium,Rebuild Camden County

entered into an agreement with the City of

Camden to install energy-efficient lighting

in all municipal facilities,including police

and firehouse administration buildings,

three firehouses,a public works 

building,the main library,and

the City’s redevelopment agency.

The partnership prepared

specifications for the City to

publicly bid the labor and

material for the lighting project,

which is expected to stimulate economic

growth in the community while saving tax

dollars. The City plans to enter into a taxexempt lease with a third party to finance

the project costs over a 10-year period.

The new efficient lighting system will

save the City $49,000 in annual energy

costs and produce $210,000 in utility

incentives over the next 10 years – more

than offsetting the costs of equipment and

installation.

For more information, contact

Brandon Sutcliffe of ONSITE SYCOM 

at (732) 748-9600 or e-mail

bsutcliffe@sycoment.com. To see the 

New Jersey State Aquarium, visit

www.njaquarium.org.

To learn more about Rebuild America, 

call 1-800-DOE-EREC or visit

www.eren.doe.gov/buildings/rebuild. U.S. 

Dept. of Energy

S.M.

2

Continued from page 1

Baltimore, MD, East Harbor Village 

Center, Inc.

Camp Verde, AZ, Yavapai Apache Nation

City and County of Honolulu, HI

Cupertino, CA, DeAnza College

Meridian, ID, Meridian School District

Corvallis, OR, Oregon State University

Rebuild Ada County, ID

Rebuild Hudson County, NJ

San Diego, CA, San Diego Regional 

Energy Office 

Territory of American Samoa

Aquarium to Improve Exhibits

The Aquarium’s 760,00-gallon Open Ocean

Tank is the third largest in the country.
Partnership Briefs

1500 Days: The Central Ohio Energy

Efficiency Project is working with the

Foundation for Environmental Education,

British Petroleum, American Electric Power,

and the Worthington School District to install

a solar photovoltaic (PV) system in Bluffsview

Elementary School. Bluffsview is the first

school to have solar technology installed

through the partnership’s “Smart School

District”initiative. Over the next two years,

1500 Days is looking to retrofit 1.6 million

square feet and install PV systems in

Worthington’s 17 other schools. Greg

Viebranz,Worthington’s director of

communications,praised the program’s

educational aspects,noting that “students will

have access to data about what these solar

panels are doing for their school.”

For more information, contact Glen Kizer

of 1500 Days at (614) 823-6243 or e-mail

gkizer6039@aol.com.

The Stark Metropolitan Housing

Authority partnership received a $50,000

grant from the Ohio Department of

Development to complete energy audits on

its 2,700 public housing units. The U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban

Development requires the Authority to

complete energy audits every five years on all

of its buildings,which range from high-rises to

single-family homes,but doesn’t fund those

audits. “During these times of restricted

funds,partnerships such as this can bring

about fantastic benefits and savings,”said

Michael Williams,the Authority’s maintenance

director. He said the Authority’s goal is to

reduce its energy costs,currently 20-25

percent of the total budget,to provide funds

for other needed projects.

For more information, contact Michael

Williams at (330) 454-8051, ext.332.

Rebuild Iowa is saving taxpayers more

than $475,000 a year by enrolling 132

partners and about 800 buildings in its

statewide Rebuild America program. So far,

Rebuild Iowa has put more than $6 million

into energy-efficient improvements,with

another one million dollars-worth identified.

In addition to the tremendous cost savings,

these improvements have cut greenhouse gas

emissions by more than 9,000 tons. The

partnership is also educating school children

about the benefits of energy conservation and

renewable energy. “Iowans are learning to live

better lives today through energy-efficient

measures,without compromising resources

needed for tomorrow,”said Kimberly Baxter

of the Iowa State Energy Office.

For more information, contact Kimberly

Baxter at (515) 281-6486 or e-mail

kbaxter@max.state.ia.us.

partnership dedicated to reviving this ailing

southern town.

For Rebuild America partnerships like this

one,saving energy can be a tool of economic

revitalization. Since its inception in April

1997,the Foundation has been buying vintage

buildings in the town’s commercial district.

Today,13 of the 25 historic buildings in the

commercial district are in the Foundation’s

possession.

By making cost-effective improvements to

these historic buildings,Rose plans to attract

quality business and retail tenants that in turn

will draw visitors.

“We want LaGrange to serve as a small

town America revitalization model that will

help other communities in a similar situation,”

he said.

He has been resourceful in getting help

wherever he can find it. A grant from the

North Carolina Department of Cultural

Resources helped in the purchase of the

Foundation’s first buildings. His plans further

crystallized with assistance from Rebuild

America.

The Foundation has used most of a

$100,000 state grant in coordination with

Rebuild America to restore or replace the

roofs of 11 historic buildings.

New Parks, Renewed Hope

As the plan to redevelop LaGrange evolves,

the Foundation will be in a position to bring

new amenities to the town,such as recreation

centers,parks and public gardens,Rose said.

On the front burner are plans for an

outstanding regional museum in LaGrange.

The Foundation has enlisted the help of

architects and museum experts and has

attracted some corporate sponsorship for the

project.

Another pending victory for the town is

that it has received a federal historic district

designation grant for an area encompassing

50 houses,five churches and 23 downtown

businesses that pre-date 1910.

Rose said his biggest challenge has been to

get the full support of the town. “They’d been

down and out for 30 years and had no

confidence,”he said.

He holds meetings regularly to keep

residents apprised of the Foundation’s plans

and writes a weekly newspaper column

about local history and architecture.

Residents are beginning to see the difference

the Foundation is making and have something

they haven’t had in many years:Hope for their

town and their futures.

A licensed general contractor for 40 years,

Conway Rose has served as president of both

the Wayne County Historical Society and the

North Carolina Archaeological Society. He

resides in Goldsboro, NC, with his wife Lew.

For more information, contact

him at (252) 566-2400. 3

Reinventing LaGrange, NC

Continued from page 1
Helping Neighbors 

Year-Round in Nevada

For Nevada Power,the spirit of goodwill

doesn’t end during the holidays. It continues

year-round through help to people like

Pearlie Joe,a senior citizen who faced power

bills of up to $500 a month.

Through its partnership with Rebuild

America and Christmas in April*Greater Las

Vegas,Nevada Power lowered her bill by 60

percent. The utility fixed the home’s

problems of inadequate insulation,an

ineffective heating unit and solid-brick

construction,while vendors donated new

windows,doors,cabinets and roofing.

Barry Vinik,a Nevada Power employee and

Las Vegas chapter board member,explained

why the utility participates in both Rebuild

America and Christmas in April: “They share

a common mission – to improve [the]

quality of life in our communities by

rehabilitating existing buildings.”

Volunteers At Work

Las Vegas is one of nearly 50 Rebuild

America communities where Christmas in

April chapters also exist. Christmas in April

is a national volunteer organization that

works with communities to rehabilitate

housing,particularly for low-income elderly

or disabled homeowners who are unable to

make necessary home repairs.

Since Christmas in April was launched as a

national program in 1988,over one million

volunteers and thousands of corporations

and organizations have donated time,labor

and funding to build better neighborhoods.

Today,more than 600 communities

participate in Christmas in April activities,

typically held on “National Rebuilding Day”

(the last Saturday in April).

Volunteers with Christmas in April*Greater

Las Vegas have renovated 110

homes and several non-profit

facilities since forming the

chapter in 1993. Last year

the Las Vegas chapter joined Rebuild America

because it offers much-needed building

knowledge and energy resources,according

to Beth Gayler,the chapter’s executive

director.

Saving Power and Money

Nevada Power is one of the Las Vegas

chapter’s premier sponsors. The utility

conducts an energy audit of each home

scheduled for renovations and makes various

energy-efficiency improvements. These

include electrical upgrades and

weatherization of windows and doors. The

utility also installs security lighting.

Homeowners typically save at least 15 to

20 percent of their electricity consumption,

plus gas and water savings.

Christmas in April*Greater Las Vegas and

Nevada Power expect to rehabilitate about

35 homes this year. Both the chapter and

the utility are proud of their efforts and have

vowed to keep their neighbors living in

warmth,safety and independence.

For more information, contact Reed

Dewey of Christmas in April*USA at (202)

483-9592.

4

Rebuild Arkansas

Strikes Gold

Rebuild Arkansas has found a wealth of resources

right at its back door,in data collected by the

Arkansas Economic Development Commission

(AEDC).

Luke Elliott of the Arkansas Energy Office said

AEDC’s data help the partnership explain the

benefits of Rebuild America to prospective partners.

The data include information on population,age,

income,education,energy consumption,retail sales,

labor force and housing distributions throughout

the state. The data also cover infrastructure,tax

base,and university and K-12 school facilities in

each city in Arkansas.

Elliott also does some data collection of his own.

Before presenting to a community,he calls a few

large facilities (such as the schools,municipal

government,hospitals and major industries) to get

information on their annual energy expenditures.

Prepared with the AEDC data and the information

he gathered,Elliott can make a compelling

presentation. For each facility,he estimates a 25

percent cost savings. Elliott explains that these

savings are like a “bank account”that facility owners

didn’t know that they had but can tap into with the

help of Rebuild America.

Elliott also uses AEDC’s energy consumption data

to extrapolate figures for each community. Since the

data cover all sectors,he predicts that Rebuild

Arkansas can save communities 10 percent of their

total energy expenditures.

Elliott recently met with representatives from 

the communities of Warren and McGee. In McGee,

a town of less than 5,000 residents,he explained

that the community could save $950,000 annually

by participating in Rebuild America. In Warren,

Elliott estimated that with Rebuild America the

school district could save $50,000 each year in

energy expenses. The town of McGee signed up 

on the spot,and the town of Warren signed up 

the next day.

For more information, contact Luke Elliott at

(870) 363-4248 or e-mail bluemtn@aristotle.net

Volunteers with Christmas In April*Greater 

Las Vegas help rebuild the community.
5

The collective expertise of Rebuild America’s

200-plus partnerships is a treasure trove of

information for partnerships seeking fresh

ideas on how to build and sustain their

programs. The Seattle region,home to some 60

partnerships,has pioneered a new Rebuild

America initiative to tap into this body of

knowledge [see May-June 1998 Partner

Update].

With support from Rebuild America’s

national office,the Seattle region is taking the

partnership concept to the next level with a

peer-to-peer program that invites an open

exchange of ideas on how to meet partnership

challenges.

A year ago,when Seattle Regional Rebuild

America Team Leader Paul Johnson and

Strategic Energy Innovations Executive

Director Cyane Dandridge began the program,

more than 40 people from 24 partnerships

shared their experiences during a start-up

meeting.

They identified four areas where Rebuild

America could lend valuable support to the

western peer exchange program:

■ regional meetings,

■ joint partnership proposals to

foundations,

■ coverage of travel costs to enable

unfunded partners to attend peer

exchanges,and

■ web-based communications.

The number of Rebuild America partnerships

in the region has since doubled and a second,

more focused peer exchange last November

drew more than 55 participants,including

representatives from Guam and American

Samoa.

“The program was developed by and for

peers,”Johnson said of the meeting. They

“explored real-world problems as they tried to

get their programs up and running.”

Open and Honest Exchanges 

Ken Baker of the Idaho Department of

Water Resources spelled out the ground rules

for four presenter/consultant discussions on

school and university,commercial,sustainable

building,and public building projects. Then

partners laid out their challenges.

A Peer Planning Committee comprised of

Dandridge,Baker,Sue Seiffert of the Idaho

Department of Water Resources,and Stan Price

of the Northwest Energy Efficiency

Council helped facilitate the sessions and keep

discussions focused. The overall group served

as consultants and offered advice to the

partner-presenters.

Johnson said he was struck by the open and

honest exchanges. “People weren’t there to

tout their successes. They were looking for

information on how to solve problems and

meet the challenges their partnerships faced.”

For example,he said,“we heard many

practical examples of how Rebuild America

partners strengthened the financial base and

sustainability of their partnerships by

expanding them to include key communitybased organizations.”

Dandridge added that,“the ‘expert

consultant’approach requires participants to

really listen in a way we’re not accustomed to --

and to draw from their own experience and

knowledge to guide the presenters to a

workable solution.”

Johnson said their challenge now is to “keep

up our drive and enthusiasm,broaden our

partnerships,and develop projects that will

show quantifiable results.” The peer exchange

program is expected to be replicated in other

regions of the country later this year.

For more information, contact Paul

Johnson at (206) 553-2154 or e-mail

paul.johnson@hq.doe.gov.

Tapping the Power of Peers

Brian Kealoha, Tom Van Lieu and 

Rebecca Garrett participated in the 

recent peer exchange.

Mark Your Calendars

1999 Rebuild America National Forum

August 9-11, 1999

MGM Grand Hotel, 

Las Vegas, Nevada 

Registration details will be coming soon.
Workbench

Building owners in Shelby, North

Carolina,are using federal and state tax

credits to preserve historic buildings and

encourage energy efficiency.

The credits help destroy the myth that it’s

cheaper to “tear down and start over.”

Those of us involved in downtown

revitalization know that neighborhood

conservation,historic preservation and

energy efficiency go hand-in-hand.

The two credits aren’t deductions – they

are actual dollar-for-dollar reductions in your

tax bill. As with all tax issues,consult with

your tax advisor before proceeding. If you

qualify,these substantial credits can help

you save the best characteristics of older

structures as well as money and energy.

Planning Is Key

The federal government offers two

historic preservation tax credits to stimulate

economic reinvestments. They are both for

income-producing properties.

❶ A 20-percent credit for “certified”

historic structures,including rental

residential.

❷ A 10-percent credit for “non-certified”

structures built before 1936 that do

not include rental residential.

The credits can be applied to almost

every cost associated with the rehabilitation

and adaptive reuse of a qualifying property,

including energy retrofits that respect a

building’s essential integrity and

architectural features. Only one credit may

be applied to any building.

For example,if the total cost of

renovating a “certified”historic structure is

$100,000,including new HVAC,insulation,

lighting,etc.,then the 20-percent

credit would result in a $20,000

reduction in income taxes for the

building owner,leaving the net project cost

at just $80,000.

There are many historic building

designations,so planning is key to

determine which of your buildings qualify.

Every state has a State Historic Preservation

Office that can explain the ins and outs of

these credits,including the paperwork trail

necessary to claim them.

Steps To Take

There are three steps to take before you

begin work on a building.

❶ Take full interior and exterior 

pictures before starting any work.

❷ Consult with your state’s Preservation

Office and have your architect,builder

and Rebuild America contact supply

required information.

❸ Complete an application for each

building and describe the work to be

done (with photographs).

Beyond those steps,there are specific

thresholds and qualifications to meet for 

a building to qualify for and receive 

either credit.

An Ambitious Program

The Uptown Shelby Association has

embarked on an ambitious program to help

property owners through the process,

which includes hiring consultants skilled in

historic preservation techniques. We’ve

already helped 10 owners and have plans to

help at least 10 more.

The first step for Rebuild America

partnerships that want to capture these

savings is to work with your architect,

contractor and State Historic Preservation

Office to ensure your action plan

encourages historic preservation as part of

overall community energy efficiency.

In addition to these federal tax credits,

many states offer additional tax credits or

incentives for rehabilitating older and

historic structures. Combined,they are

creating a unique blend of energy efficiency

and historic ambiance in Shelby.

Ted Alexander is executive director of the

Uptown Shelby Association. He can be

reached at (704) 484-3100. To learn

more, contact the National Conference of

State Historic Preservation Officers at

(202) 624-5465 or visit

www.sso.org/ncshpo.

6

Tax Credits Stimulate Historic Preservation

By Ted Alexander

The 1st National

Bank building in

Shelby, NC, after

renovation.
Rebuild America News

Funding Your Projects

Partnerships know that while the economic,

community and environmental benefits of energy

efficiency are clear,finding up-front capital for

upgrade projects can be difficult. Rebuild America

Financial Services is a new area of assistance to

help partnerships understand and access various

financial options.

Rebuild America Financial Services is not a funding

mechanism;rather,it provides partnerships with

written guides,workshops,analytical tools and

customized technical assistance to help them

develop,finance and implement energy-efficiency

projects. Partnerships can also reach out to

participating state programs,associations or private

financing organizations that can provide increased

access to capital.

The Rebuild America Financial Services web site

includes case studies of communities that

successfully funded energy-efficiency projects. They

include:

■ Montgomery County,Maryland,whose 

Capital Savings Reinvestment Plan expects 

savings of $700,000 so far.

■ The Wisconsin Energy Initiative,which has

partnered with more than 60 organizations to

leverage a $5 million utility rebate program

into $40 million for state facility upgrades.

■ The State of Iowa’s Facilities Improvement

Corporation,a non-profit,state-supported

organization that has returned $6 million per

year and average cost savings of 117 percent

of lease value.

■ The LoanStar Revolving Loan Program in

Texas,which finances energy improvements in

state and local buildings and estimates savings

of $250 million over the next 20 years.

For more information, visit the Rebuild America

Financial Services web site at www.ornl.gov/rafs,

or contact your Rebuild America customer service

representative.

The Rebuild America Information

Management System (IMS) has taken on a

new look. The new appearance follows

the standard Rebuild America design

theme,with crisp and simple navigational

tools. The IMS is a tool for partnerships to

access information and resources about

Rebuild America and fellow partnerships.

Log into the IMS though the Rebuild

America web site at

www.eren.doe.gov/buildings/rebuild.

Send comments,suggestions and

questions about the IMS to

rebuildamerica@drintl.com.

Grant Applications Due April 1

April 1,1999 is the deadline to submit

applications for the U.S.Department of

Energy’s fiscal-year 1999 State Energy

Program (SEP) Special Project funds. This

year the program has $13.8 million

available,including $1.25 million for

Rebuild America.

Project funding is available in five

sectors:buildings,industrial,utility,federal,

and transportation. Applications will be

examined for completeness and

timeliness,followed by a merit review and

a recommendation to the Assistant

Secretary for Energy Efficiency and

Renewable Energy,who will make the

final determination.

For more information, contact your

Rebuild America regional team leader.

Upcoming Events

National Trust Main Street Center

Downtown Revitalization Annual

Conference. March 21-24,1999 in San

Diego,California. Contact the Main Street

Center at (202) 588-6219.

National School Boards Association

59th Annual Conference. April 10-13,

1999 in Sacramento,California. Contact

NSBA at (800) 950-6722,option “2.”

1999 State Energy Program MidAtlantic Regional Conference on

Energy Efficiency. April 19-21 in

Baltimore,MD.Contact the Maryland

Energy Administration at (800) 723-6374.

7th National Conference on Building

Commissioning. May 3-5,1999 in

Portland,Oregon. Contact Portland

Energy Conservation,Inc.,at (503) 248-

4636 or visit www.peci.org.

5th National Clean Cities Conference.

May 23-26,1999 in Louisville,Kentucky.

Contact Clean Cities at (800) 224-8437 or

visit www.ccities.doe.gov.

Solar ’99: Growing the Market.

June 12-16,1999 in Portland,Maine.

Contact ASES at (303) 443-3130 or 

e-mail ases@ases.org.

Tools

7
Share Your Success

Rebuild America Partner Update, the 

bimonthly newsletter about the Rebuild 

America community, covers partnership 

activities, industry trends, and program news.

To submit news or story ideas, contact: 

• Jonathan T. Alloy, (202) 466-7391, or e-mail 

jalloy@pcgpr.com.

• Rebecca Penovich, (301) 588-9387, or e-mail 

beckyp@drintl.com.

Learn More

Rebuild America is part of DOE’s Buildings 

for the 21st Century. If you would like 

information about Rebuild America or the 

other energy efficiency and renewable energy 

programs and resources, call 1-800-DOE-EREC 

or visit www.eren.doe.gov.

To be placed on the mailing list for Rebuild America 

Partner Update, e-mail rebuildamerica@drintl.com.

Rebuild America is a network of community

partnerships – made up of local governments

and businesses – that save money by saving

energy. These voluntary partnerships, working

with the U.S. Department of Energy, choose the

best ways to improve the energy efficiency of

commercial, government and apartment

buildings. Rebuild America supports them

with business and technical tools and 

customized assistance.

By the year 2003, 250 Rebuild America 

partnerships will be involved in over 

2 billion square feet of building renovations,

which will save $650 million every year in

energy costs, generate $3 billion in private

community investment, create 26,000 new

private sector jobs, and reduce air pollution by

1.6 million tons of carbon dioxide a year.

Rebuild America 

Office of Building Technology,

State and Community Programs

U.S.Department of Energy

1000 Independence Avenue,SW

Washington,DC 20585-0121

Address Correction Requested

Rebuild America 

and Christmas 

In April

see page 4