STATEWIDE — It was announced on Wednesday that the city of Indianapolis would be receiving $500,000 grant from the Department of Energy to help reach their “climate goals.”

These grants are part of the DOE’s Energy Futures Grants program which awarded a total of $27 million in financial and technical assistance.

The Indianapolis Office of Sustainability said in their press release that the money would help to create a network between the seven Indiana cities by developing a Building Innovation Hub over the next 18 months. Cities included in the project are Bloomington, Evansville, Fort Wayne, Lafayette, West Lafayette, and South Bend.

“The foundational work made possible through the DOE’s EFG opportunity in the coming years will be instrumental in shaping the resilience of our Hoosier communities, economies, and workforces for decades to come,” said Morgan Mickelson, Director of the Indianapolis Office of Sustainability. “We are honored that the DOE selected our EFG application to invest in this important climate mitigation work.”

The collaborative effort between Hoosier cities will help to reduce carbon emissions through energy efficient buildings across the state.

The release states that the built environment is responsible for 39% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Specific to Indianapolis the percentage of greenhouse gasses rises to 66%. Further south in Bloomington it rises even further to 77%. The IOS says these numbers demonstrate a need for more energy efficient buildings.