The Lake County Forest Preserve District is one step closer to converting 146 golf carts at the Countryside Golf Club near Libertyville to electric power.
The district has set aside $1.4 million for the project. It is part of the district’s ten-year plan and the funds will be used to put up facilities for storing and charging the carts. Implementing the change will take time but this latest step means that the project will be accounted for in future budgets.
The costs involved in setting up a storage facility for electric carts would keep the course from being able to replace the existing equipment. The golf fund will be used to pay for half of the costs and the district will set aside $700,000 to be used as a zero-interest loan that will be repayable over the next 10 years. Banner printing is sometimes used to advertise at golf courses, which helps cover some costs.
This project is considered to be an important part of the district’s plan to reduce its carbon footprint. Executive Director Ty Kovach spoke about the project and said the plan to have four net-zero buildings remains on track.
A net-zero building is able to produce enough energy for its own needs. The other net-zero buildings to which Kovach referred are the Ryerson Conservation Area’s welcome center, the environmental education center currently under construction, and the maintenance facility proposed for the Lakewood Forest Preserve.
