Forty-three projects valued at nearly $8.4 million will make National Wildlife Refuges and National Fish Hatcheries more energy efficient and less reliant on non-renewable energy sources to support existing facilities.

All projects deemed worthy of funding met three key criteria; they address the highest priority mission needs for the Service, they create the largest number of jobs in the shortest period of time, and create lasting value for the American public.

Photovoltaic panels Farallon National Wildlife Refuge. Panels like these will be installed at the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge in Ohio to help the refuge become energy independent.

Among the 43 energy-efficiency retrofit projects to be built are:

• Jordan River National Fish Hatchery in northern Michigan: The hatchery will install a microturbine on the hatchery’s water supply line, providing for all the hatchery’s energy needs and generating surplus electricity. The hatchery will also upgrade its water heating and cooling system to a more efficient passive geothermal system.
• Neosho National Fish Hatchery in Missouri: The hatchery will install a photovoltaic array to the visitor facility and upgrade the facility to make it fully LEEDS (green and energy efficiency standard) compliant.
• Izembek, Selawik and Alaska Penn National Wildlife Refuges in Alaska: Specially designed vertical wind turbines will be installed to generate electricity for refuge facilities.
• Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge in Oak Harbor, Ohio: A photovoltaic array will be installed on the refuge visitor center, with the goal of achieving 100 percent off-grid capability which means energy independence for the refuge. The facility, constructed in 2007, already meets energy efficiency standards and has geothermal heating.

Download a list of all U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service projects by state.