County Council Looking at $6 Million Energy Plan

Northampton County Council will vote Thursday night on whether to approve $6.1 million in repairs to the heating, cooling and plumbing systems in several county buildings.

Council's Finance Committee on Wednesday heard from representatives from the McClure Company, a Harrisburg-based PPL subsidiary that would handle the work.

If approved by council, the company will go to work on 20 different projects over the next 12 months. On Wednesday, McClure representatives outlined six repair/replacement projects that are the highest priority:

• The prison's 60-year-old boiler -- $618,579
• The county courthouse's (historic section) air handling unit -- $1,048,000
• Two courthouse chillers -- $992,746
• The courthouse boiler -- $333,020
• Prison roof replacements -- $615, 680

These six projects would account for half of what the county would spend. McClure says the county would end up saving close to $10 million in energy costs over the next 15 years if it made these changes.

Committee members seemed fairly agreeable to the proposal, with Councilman Ron Angle saying he want a guarantee on the projects from PPL, to have an outside assessment of McClure's work, and insurance on the projects.