Metro Atlanta Transit garners TIGGER grant for solar initiative

As any reader of this blog knows, I've spent a lot of time this summer seeing firsthand the great projects Americans are undertaking to rebuild our infrastructure and get our people back to work.

But this afternoon, I was particularly pleased to present Atlanta's MARTA transit agency with a TIGGER grant for $10.8 million. Believe me when I say this is truly money that will be generating dividends for years to come.

As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, the Federal Transit Administration is awarding 43 Transit Investments for Greenhouse Gas and Energy Reduction--TIGGER--grants. This $100 million is going to transit agencies that pursue cutting-edge environmental technologies to help reduce global warming, lessen America's dependence on oil, and create green jobs.

MARTA will use its TIGGER award to outfit bus canopies at its Laredo bus maintenance facility with solar-paneled roofs. The solar roofs on these 220 stall will produce electricity for MARTA and sell the surplus clean energy back to Georgia Power! Folks, this promises to be the largest photo-voltaic (solar panel) installation in the entire state of Georgia.

MARTA benefits; the environment benefits--America benefits.

This is the future of transportation. This is exciting. This shows how investing in green transportation not only helps the planet, but creates jobs and strengthens our economy.

It also shows how much more we can do.

Congratulations, MARTA; this project is a fantastic idea. I can't wait to see that utility meter spinning backward!

Comments

[Michael E. Bailey]

The $100 million in ARRA grant money is money well spent for cleaner transit across the country. Transit was already helping reduce greenhouse gases and other pollution by getting people out of their cars. This will begin the process of making transit even more environmentally friendly by using less diesel, gasoline, and power. A number of transit agencies including AC in Oakland are using their funding for solar power, cleaner more efficient electric power for their infrastructure sites. Many are using their funding for electric or hybird powered busses. This is great. And it is the beginning of the future. AC Transit in Oakland was already a user of and supporter of hydrogen powered busses and I am glad that they are going to use their funding to make the hydrogen fuel with solar power. Solar power won't pollute and the only exhaust from the hydrogen fuel is pure water vapor. It would be great if what AC is doing could be a model for stronger action on electric power generation. A larger facility would use hydrogen to make the electricity for homes and factories with the hydrogen being manufactured onsite using solar power. Best wishes, Michael E. Bailey.

[Ronald Foust]

Thanks for stirring the pot to generate more alternatives for commuting and transportation in and around Atlanta!!!

I have a request. Many of us nearby are proud of the presence of the Centers for Disease Control headquarters.

However, with the expansion of the new headquarters campus, many more people drive there. We need federal help to improve the roads to the CDC, make bicycle lanes, improve pedestrian access.

There are plans to almost double the employees at this headquarters in the next 10 years.

There is only one 4 lane road and no MARTA train access to this corridor.

There is a proposal to bring the Brain Train to this corridor.

I hope the federal agencies can coordinate their plans and priorities and cooperate in improving these conditions.

Thanks,

Ron Foust
rfoust@emory.edu

[Residential Solar Panels]

I'm so glad to see that MARTA will be building solar panels on roofs to generate free energy and reducing its power bill plus doing good to the environment.

What's more? The energy generated will be sold back to Georgia Power! What a win-win situation.

[Horno Solar]

All the goverments should follow this great example.

thanks.

[Used Solar Panels]

Thanks for the wonderful post!

It really is a refreshing change to see somebody else serious about renewable energy! If far more persons took it seriously, we would be significantly greater off! I am just hoping that much more individuals come around, and soon. Our family has saved a bundle on power costs with solar power up for the roof.

[Tony Paulson]

Colleges are the place for this.....the activist spirit is strong in young kids.....Keeping the planet green and sustainable. There are opportunities all over the place. Envision solar has a very interesting plan about how and where to utilize solar energy. PARKING LOTS, which colleges have a lot of..... Using this inefficient space and building solar groves parking lots will better utilized.....videos at www.envisionsolar.com/videos/.......good luck to all making this happen

[I Siverson]

This is great idea for all transporation departments to place solar on their buildings and or at the bus stops so they are out there giving people constent ideas on savings.

For budget perpose maybe do several pannels and then increase each month with a goal in mind.

Wind return sounds like the best investment as it returns a profit in 3 years. Working the savings on utility bills from all directions is the best way to go. Here is another idea on saving directly from the wallet to turn and invest in solar energy. http://CalculatePower.org

[solar panel kits]

Kudos to Metro Atlanta Transit for leading the way in what more transit authorities should be doing. We need to reduce our dependency of foreign oil as much as possible and make the transition to renewable energy sources to help our environment, our wallets and for future generations.

Thank you for sharing the information in this post

[Rodney Orton]

A solar-power initiative is definitely going to help not just the environment, but also the people in the community. As you've mentioned, the environment benefits and so will America. If this has been proven successful for one state, will it be possible that the project would expand to the other nearby states or to all of America, for that matter?