A backup generator to keep the lights on during power outages at the Westmoreland County Courthouse will cost about $2.2 million.
Commissioners said are expected this week to approve a contract to purchase a new backup generator for the Greensburg courthouse complex. Officials say it’s needed to ensure continued operations at the government center during power outages.
“This building has been neglected for so long and this is us doing our due diligence to maintain this building. It’s one of the reasons we did what we had to do in 2024, but it’s what we had to do,” said Commissioner Sean Kertes referring to the 32.5% property tax hike imposed as part of this year’s budget.
Commissioners cited revenue shortfalls, rising costs and an increased need for future capital upgrades as reasons for the county’s first major tax hike in decades. The county’s proposed 2025 budget, expected to be approved later this week, does not call for a tax increase.
The backup generator project will be paid for, in part, by a $500,000 state grant. The county will use capital funds, allocated as part of next year’s spending plan, to cover the remaining expense for the equipment. When installed, it will replace the backup generator that has been in use since the early 1970s, according to Assistant Public Works Director Dante DiCario.
County officials said the backup generator is relied upon to ensure the county’s data center and emergency lighting continues during an outage. The data center is where all key computer operations are centralized and enables core county functions to continue for several hours.
The new generator will offer the potential for more power, DiCario said. Additional lighting, elevators and other equipment in the century-old courthouse building and adjacent eight-floor annex where most county officials are located could be powered for longer periods with the upgraded equipment.
The courthouse extension building, connected to the government complex by a pedestrian bridge over Pennsylvania Avenue, is supplied with emergency power through a separate backup generator.
It is expected to take most of next year before the new generator is delivered. Installation is expected to be finished next November or December, DiCario said.
