Three projects in Northumberland and Union counties will share $1 million for projects aimed at saving energy.

Bucknell University, the Milton Regional Sewer Authority, and the Gregg Township Municipal Authority were each awarded with competitive PA Conservation Works! grants, made available through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, commonly known as the stimulus bill.

The funding was announced by U.S. Rep. Chris Carney on Friday. The program, which covers cities, towns and boroughs with fewer than 35,000 people and counties with fewer than 200,000, is supposed to provide grants to projects that would create jobs, start within six months and finish by May 31, 2011.

Bucknell will receive $250,000 to replace two air handling units serving the Bostwick Cafeteria and the Bison Café, the two main dining facilities in the Elaine Langone Center. The funds will also be used to upgrade those areas to a variable air volume system with occupancy monitoring.

The system will fluctuate air flow, based on how many people are in the room at the time, said David Myers, chief of stuff for the president of the university, “so it’s not constantly running at the highest speed.”

The project is expected to save 7,654,300 kilowatt hours and 83,000 cubic feet of natural gas over the life of the system.

The energy savings translate to $100,000 a year for Bucknell, Myers said.

The Bostwick Cafeteria is the main cafeteria for the university’s 3,300 students.

The $250,000 awarded will cover half of the project’s cost, Myers said, which will allow the university to pay for it two and a half years, compared to the planned five.

The university applied for two other similar energy-related projects. Of the three, Myers said, “This is the one that had the longest payoff for us.”

Since the cafeteria and cafe will need to be shut down to work on the project, Myers said the earliest it could be completed is over winter break, but it most likely will be postponed until the summer. They are still waiting to receive the grant award, he said.

The Milton Regional Sewer Authority will receive $500,000 to install an aerobic digester and purchase energy efficiency blowers, air delivery and diffuser equipment, expected to save 10,472,000 kilowatt hours.

In Union County, the Gregg Township Municipal Authority will receive $250,000 to upgrade the existing treatment plant headworks, air diffusers, aeration blowers, and replace the utility water system, saving an expected 12,550,000 kilowatt hours.