Erie County is making energy upgrades that officials say should be a financial advantage moving forward.
The county has installed infrastructure improvements on the Rath Building worth just over $11 million. The changes include a self-contained power system, which provides the county with increased energy independence.
The county expects to make back its money in 12 years thanks to the upgrades, Commissioner of Public Works Bill Geary said.
“We've had four major snowstorms or blizzards in the last five years, and probably before that only seen two," he said. "So, we knew we had to build this building, and I hate to use the word resilient, but that's really what we had to do, is fortify this infrastructure for the oncoming future and for the next 30 to 50 years.”
The on-site resilient power system is meant to help maintain building functions in extreme weather or other extenuating circumstances. Other upgrades include a new roof, solar panels and electric vehicle chargers.
The changes are long overdue, County Executive Mark Poloncarz said.
“We had a building that's almost as old as I am that was working off systems that were designed in the 1960s," he said. "It really hadn't had modernization of the building since then, but because of the work of so many ... we have a high-quality, energy-efficient system that is running the Rath Building.”
Erie County also is receiving just under $2.5 million in federal rebates because of the project.
