Local government officials are taking a more aggressive posture on using possible “green” — or at least “greener” — approaches to energy consumption, authorities say.

While the Dougherty County Commission has largely been the pioneer in developing alternative sources of energy — namely efforts to collect and now pipe unused methane from the Dougherty County Landfill to Marine Corps Logistics Base-Albany — the city and the Albany Water, Gas & Light Commission are busy thinking of ways to put energy sources other than fossil fuels to use.

For city officials, research is under way to determine whether there is an opportunity to deflate the Civic Center’s monstrous utility bill by heating and cooling the facility through alternative energy sources.
Last month, Assistant City Manager Wes Smith said that the city was contemplating using solar panels to help mitigate utility costs. After further research, that option appears to not be a viable one, at least in terms of reaching the same savings benchmark the city had set. (read more at albanyherald.com)