KINGSTON – HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley, the umbrella corporation for Benedictine Hospital, The Kingston Hospital and Margaretville Hospital, has received federal funding for energy conservation measures.

The $423,200 in Health and Human Services funding was secured by The Solar Energy Consortium. It will be used for new energy conservation and carbon emissions reduction projects involving renewable solar energy and efficiency measures.

Among the projects to be funded are a solar thermal system to generate hot water at the Benedictine campus and the purchase of two hybrid vehicles for transportation between hospitals, said HealthAlliance spokeswoman Sylvia Murphy.

Other projects to be funded include a high efficiency LED lighting for parking lots and outside areas at all three hospitals; and solar-powered lighting for outside identifying signs at Kingston and Benedictine hospitals.

Work on all of the projects will begin this month and is expected to be completed within a year.

Funding for the projects was secured by Congressman Maurice Hinchey.