City of Duarte Recognized as Leader in
Energy Conservation
DUARTE, CA, October 26, 2011 – The City of Duarte will be honored for outstanding commitment to improving its energy efficiency and the environment at the 3rd annual San Gabriel Valley Energy Wise Partnership Awards Luncheon, Dec. 6 at the Hilton Hotel in San Gabriel.
Duarte will be presented with the 2011 Energy Savings Impact Award by the San Gabriel Valley Energy Wise Partnership, a collaboration between the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (SGVCOG) and Southern California Edison. The award is presented to a city deemed a leader in energy conservation. Duarte was selected for the award because of its city-wide energy efficiency lighting project that resulted in a 142,757 kilowatt-hours savings this year.
Energy efficiency improvements undertaken by the City included lighting and heating, ventilating and air conditioning replacements and upgrades for City Hall, Community Center, Fitness Center, South Maintenance Yard, Senior Center and Fitness Center; Building Control optimization for the City Towne Center, North and South maintenance yards, Senior and Teen Center, and two Recreation Center buildings. The City utilized stimulus grant funds, rebates and a low-interest loan to finance the $358,171 project. Of the total cost, $122,117 was paid from Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, and $17,208 from Southern California Edison rebates. The remaining $218,846 is financed through a California Energy Commission low interest 3% loan to be repaid over 15 years with funds derived solely from the energy savings generated by the project. The annual savings to the City is approximately $27,000.
“The purpose of the San Gabriel Valley Energy Wise Partnership is to bring energy savings to the San Gabriel Valley through innovative public education and energy usage in our region. Duarte has been at the forefront of these achievements,” said SGVCOG Executive Director, Nicholas Conway. Duarte has also achieved Silver Level in the Partnership’s Energy Leader Model; a designation that recognizes cities that have demonstrated energy savings and a commitment to energy efficiency.
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