UC Davis gets $2.5M for West Village project

Thursday, January 21, 2010, 2:57pm PST | Modified: Thursday, January 21, 2010, 3:21pm

UC Davis gets $2.5M for West Village project

Sacramento Business Journal - by Kelly Johnson Staff writer

The University of California Davis has received $2.5 million in federal stimulus dollars for its 205-acre West Village project.

West Village, a mixed housing and commercial development under construction at the university, will provide sustainable, affordable on-campus housing for thousands of students, staff and faculty.

U.S. Congress members Doris Matsui and Mike Thompson, who supported the university’s application, announced the federal grant Thursday.

The West Village planned community is a zero-net energy community that will feature a variety of sustainability innovations. It will emphasize walking, bicycling and public transportation as a way to reduce the emissions normally associated with new housing projects. The project is expected to serve as a blueprint for future energy-wise developments nationwide.

“The UC Davis West Village Smart Grid Demonstration Project will provide a wealth of data on the performance of energy saving strategies and technologies in the field, and help bring energy conservation practices and technologies into our daily lives,” Matsui said in a news release. “I applaud UC Davis’ leadership in advancing our region’s commitment to sustainability and clean energy solutions, and believe that the West Village project is an important component of making Sacramento a clean-tech capital.”

“Renewable energy is the way of the future,” Thompson said in the release. “I’m proud to see that once again UC Davis is leading the way in finding new and innovative ways to power our homes and create sustainable communities.”

UC Davis Chancellor Linda Katehi applauded the U.S. Department of Energy’s support of the innovative waste-to-energy project.

“The West Village project will immediately reduce our campus’ environmental impact while showing us the best way to build similar projects in other places,” she said. “Every day, UC Davis is advancing our commitment to sustainability and clean energy solutions.”