(RALEIGH) -- Six new federal Recovery Act grants totaling $755,148 will target energy efficiency initiatives in six communities in North Carolina.   Gov. Beverly Perdue announced that the six grants mark the second distribution of money from the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program in North Carolina, for a total of nearly $1.5 million to a dozen local agencies.

Additional grants are expected to be announced in the coming weeks as funding applications are reviewed and acted on. “These recovery dollars will create new jobs while helping communities and taxpayers save on their energy bills,” said Gov. Perdue. “This program is another excellent example of how local, state and federal agencies are collaborating to create green jobs in North Carolina.”