Some 250 regional jobs will be created and the environment will benefit from $6.1 million awarded to King County from the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program.

The money will be dedicated to activities that create new jobs, reduce the region’s climate-changing greenhouse gas emissions, leverage other funding opportunities and save taxpayer money by reducing energy costs, according to the King County Executive’s office.

The grant was awarded last month as part of the federal government’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Many of the partnerships are part of a regional collaborative effort called New Energy Solutions, which is focused on projects that include deep energy efficiency improvements, smart grid, and clean mobility components.

Highlights of activities to be funded, pending DOE approval, include:

• Technical support and incentives for improved building energy efficiency and meeting green building standards, including priority processing and reduced review fees for new developments.

• Installation of electric vehicle charging stations in support of a planned broad regional transportation electrification initiative intended to increase transit energy efficiency and reduce emissions.

• Establishing a community-based travel project and targeting disadvantaged communities to provide residents with information about travel options and incentives for reducing daily car trips.