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A source for everyone interested in energy, business and the environment  |
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"...an invaluable guide to a more helpful future..."
-Walter Cronkite |
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“Summer Energy Savers” Awarded To Energy Efficiency, Clean Energy Leaders In Connecticut
NEW BRITAIN, CONNECTICUT April 27, 2004 -- Fairfield and New Haven Counties in the Southwest area of Connecticut face continued air quality and electricity reliability challenges. With unstable prices for electricity and continued pressure on the electricity grid still on the horizon, electricity conservation and energy efficiency remain important strategies for sustaining a reliable transmission system.
To meet this challenge, leaders from a number of organizations in Southwest Connecticut took steps to reduce their electricity consumption and demand during the summer of 2003. The combined efforts of these leaders resulted in energy savings of nearly 5.5 million kilowatt hours of electricity, and lowered peak electricity demand by nearly 2000 kilowatts. On Thursday, April 22, these efforts were recognized by the State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management, and Departments of Environmental Protection and the Public Utility Control through the “Summer Savers Award Program.” The award recognizes electricity consumers in Connecticut who substantially reduced their electricity usage.
“Taken together, the winners of today’s awards saved electricity and air pollution emissions equal to that produced by a small power plant,” said Art Rocque, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection. “This area of the State of Connecticut still faces challenges for ground-level ozone, and the actions of these Summer Savers are playing a significant role in improving our air quality.” Commissioner Rocque presented Silver Awards to the Greenwich American Centre and the Sheraton Stamford for their extensive efforts to save energy, and a Gold Award to Sterling Glen of Stamford for its energy efficiency upgrades.
Commissioner Donald Downes of the Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control presented the Stamford Public Schools with three Gold Awards, one each for energy upgrades at the K.T. Murphy School, Newfield Elementary School, and Toquam School. “By using energy efficiently, the Stamford Public Schools helped strengthen the reliability of the electric system in this area. It is gratifying to see that the buildings where our future leaders are being educated are also showing leadership in helping to maintain the reliability of our electric system.”
Jack Goldberg, Vice Chairman of the Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control, presented a Platinum Award and the “Peak Performer” Award to Aquarion Water Company of Connecticut for its upgrade of its water pumping systems. “We are charged with regulating Aquarion as a water utility, and we are delighted to award them these awards for their efforts to manage their energy use,” Goldberg said. “To achieve the best energy performance, they looked not only at one facility, but at how the interaction of six different facilities could be optimized. That took a tremendous amount of coordination and is to be applauded.”
John A. Mengacci, Under Secretary of Strategic Management at the State Office of Policy & Management, presented the Town of Fairfield with the Platinum Award and the “Peak Performer” Award for its upgrade of its wastewater treatment plant. “The innovation shown by the Town of Fairfield is nothing short of incredible. By challenging our assumptions about building design, energy efficiency, and clean power generation, they have developed a national model for how our most vibrant communities will be using energy in the near future.”
Owners/operators of buildings and manufacturers who upgrade their energy efficiency or initiate conservation measures this summer are invited to apply for next year’s Summer Saver Awards. To obtain an application and to learn more about the program, please visit www.summersaver.state.ct.usa or contact Ginger Teubner at the DPUC at (860) 827-2630.
Accounting for almost half the electricity load in the state of Connecticut, the densely populated southwestern area is one of the fastest growing and economically vital regions in the state. At times of peak power demand, the supply of electricity has occasionally exceeded the area’s generating and transmission capacities, resulting in older or more-polluting forms of power generation being brought on-line, thereby, impacting air quality.
The Summer Savers Awards program is a project of the Southwest Connecticut Clean Demand Response Pilot Team, a partnership between the State of Connecticut Office of Policy and Management, Department of Environmental Protection and Department of Public Utility Control. This partnership was established in 2002 to address electricity reliability and air quality concerns in southwestern Connecticut through the use of energy efficiency and clean energy technologies.
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