Gov. Riley has awarded six grants to local governments to research alternative energy.

Auburn University will assist the cities of Enterprise and Bay Minette, as well as Henry County, in producing biodiesel to fuel city and county government vehicles. The university will also partner with Fultondale and Alabama Power to look into the possibility of producing electrical energy from yard waste.

The Auburn University Space Research Institute will partner with Lee County to install solar panels at the Lee County Justice Center, which could reduce electric power consumption by 25 percent.

The sixth grant was awarded to Tuscaloosa who will be working with the University of Alabama.

The grant money totals $1.1 million.