Chatham County has been awarded a $350,000 grant through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant program, the county government announced Wednesday. The grant was administered by the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality’s State Energy Office using federal funding. Chatham County’s project was one of nine across the state selected for funding. “The funding will support energy audits and efficiency upgrades at several high-energy-use County buildings, marking a significant step forward in Chatham’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and cost-effective energy management,” the county said in a release. Specifically, the county said it plans to conduct energy audits at the Chatham County Public Health Building and the Siler City Center for Active Living. These audits will evaluate current energy use and identify recommendations to improve future efficiency. While the county said some of the forthcoming improvements will be funded directly by the grant, others wi...