From the
Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
DOER's Leading by Example
(LBE) Program and Green Communities Division, in partnership with Massachusetts
electric utilities and Philips Lighting, were able to offer a year-end, no-cost
high efficiency lighting program to over 100 public entities, resulting in
significant reductions in energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
Participating municipalities, state agencies, and state colleges and
universities met a December 12, 2012 deadline for ordering an array of
energy-saving lights provided free-of-charge through a joint program from
Philips Lighting, NSTAR Electric Company (including Western Mass Electric
Company), and National Grid. Under terms of the program, all bulbs will be
installed by March 31, 2013 as replacements for less-efficient existing lights
in public ways and facilities.
"We were pleased we
could make this offer available - and doubly pleased at the number of
communities, agencies and campuses that scrambled in December to take advantage
of it,"
LBE Program Director Eric Friedman said. "Thanks to Philips
Lighting, Massachusetts utilities, and quick action by the LBE staff, hundreds
of public buildings received hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of bulbs at
no cost, and – even more valuable – will continue to enjoy energy and cost
savings over the lifetime of these highly-efficient products."
More than 80
municipalities and some 20 state agencies and public higher education entities
participated, in total ordering more than 170,000 bulbs destined for over 400
separate facilities statewide. Proof of installation in public ways and
facilities will occur through a combination of photographic reports and
possible site inspections.
Efficient lights offered
through the program included: the Philips L-prize 9.7 watt A-Lamp, which is
equivalent to standard 60 - 75 watt incandescent bulbs scheduled to be phased
out by federal regulation in 2014, as well as other LED lamps and high
efficiency T8 linear fluorescent tubes. These high-efficiency lamps are
projected to save over 6 million kilowatt hours of electricity annually,
equivalent to the electricity use of 830 homes, and reduce energy bills by
close to $1 million each year.
I
wonder if this were a program we could have participated in? Oh well, too late.
Anonymous
does the light dept have a charter?
ReplyDeletethought thuis was interesting from Berkshire wind
ReplyDeleteMassachusetts Municipal Lighting Plants, also know as municipal electric utilities, are owned and operated
by the communities they serve and were created by a vote of the local citizenry. They are governed by a
Board of Light Commissioners that is either elected or appointed by locally elected officials. They operate
on a non-profit basis and are entitled to issue tax-exempt revenue bonds to finance their operations . All
revenues are applied to finance operations, improve the quality of service or reduce electric rates. Unlike
the private, investor-owned utilities of Massachusetts, municipal utilities have no need to generate a profit to
pay stockholders. There are 40 municipal utilities in Massachusetts.
I hope we can let the people of our town understand this "Templeton Municipal light took a corner, back aways', like about ten years ago. They have used profits to benefit them selvs and no one else. The worst part is they have no shame. People need to know we do not have LOW RATES ! Those days are gone. Bev.
Deletenicely done on the citizens petition and hopefully get that municiple department inline with the rest of the town's departments
ReplyDeleteThanks Jeff. It was fun meeting the people who sign.
ReplyDeleteStay safe and ration the chocolates!
Dave