A $70,000 Environmental Protection Agency "Sustainable Skylines" grant will be used to help make Boston’s Newmarket industrial area greener and more energy-efficient.

The Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) will focus the grant money to help create a working group, build partnerships citywide, improve energy efficiency in the area’s industrial buildings, explore district-wide energy solutions, implement an anti-idling campaign and develop a strategic plan for the future, according to a statement.

The Newmarket area is an urban industrial area that encompasses parts of downtown and south of downtown, including MBTA tracks, the Greater Boston Food Bank and the South Bay Center, with Interstate-93 running down the middle.

"Support from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will bolster our ongoing efforts to help Newmarket businesses achieve greater energy efficiency, explore renewable energy options and operate more competitively," said Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino. "We are excited by the opportunity to help develop a replicable model for sustainable urban industrial centers while helping our businesses create and retain good jobs."

The Sustainable Skylines Initiative is a collaborative effort that brings together EPA resources with those of other government agencies, nonprofit and private organizations to support individual communities.

Under EPA’s Sustainable Skylines Initiative, a city can choose to perform projects from seven categories: renewing community livability, climate change and renewable energy/energy efficiency, land-use transportation strategies, diesel emissions sources, green buildings and developments, pollution prevention, and education and outreach. Projects are expected to yield quantifiable benefits within three years. Other Sustainable Skylines cities include: Dallas, Kansas City and Philadelphia.