Conservation Update — October 1995
Arizona
Dept. of Commerce Energy Office Receives Recognition Award: The
Governor's Program for Excellence Recognition Award was given to the Energy Office for $4.5
million worth of energy-saving equipment that was installed in 22 state buildings in the Phoenix
and Tucson areas. Improvements included the replacement of 100 air conditioning, heating and
ventilating motors, 21 chillers, and 22,000 lighting fixtures which were retrofitted with
energy-efficient lamps and ballasts. The conservation program, a joint effort of the Energy
Office and the Arizona Department of Administration, is expected to reduce the state's utility
costs by $20 million during the next 20 years. As a result of the conservation steps taken, local
utility companies have awarded the state $100,000 in rebates and incentives. These funds are
earmarked for future energy-saving projects.
Contact: Jim Westberg, (602) 280-1434
1995 Energy Management Conference Scheduled: The 1995 Energy Management
Conference (EMC) will be held on December 7 and 8 at the Doubletree Hotel in Tucson,
Arizona. Each year the EMC provides a forum for hundreds of energy professionals to learn
more about energy-saving technologies that help their organizations and institutions save energy
and reduce utility costs. The two-day conference concludes with the presentation of the Annual
Energy Conscious Community Awards that recognize communities and school districts
throughout Arizona for their energy-saving techniques.
Contact: Gloria Castro, (602) 280-1410
California
Yosemite Dedicates Electric Buses: For the first time, electric-powered buses
are carrying visitors around Yosemite National Park. Two new California-manufactured electric
vehicles were dedicated on September 22, 1995, in a ceremony hosted by the California Energy
Commission, National Park Service, California Department of Transportation, Pacific Gas and
Electric Company, and Yosemite Concession Services Corporation. As a demonstration project,
a 30-foot electric bus with a 35-person capacity and a 35-foot bus carrying as many as 45 people
at a time are shuttling park visitors around the floor of Yosemite Valley. The new buses will
help gather information about the wintertime performance of electric vehicles in snow and
below-freezing temperatures and, if the test runs are successful, may be used in other national
parks where traffic, noise, odors and air pollution are a problem. Yosemite hopes eventually to
replace its entire fleet of diesel fuel buses, which presently carry 3.5 million passengers annually.
Besides the two new buses, an electric van, two electric delivery trucks and two electric pickups
are already in use in the world's most famous valley.
Contact: Rob Schlichting, (916) 654-5159
Colorado
Energy Conservation Welcomes Colorado Weatherization Program Office:
The Governor's Office of Energy Conservation (OEC) welcomes the Colorado Weatherization
Program to its offices. The Colorado Weatherization Program provides low-income residents
with safe, cost-effective energy services by weatherizing more than 3,800 homes each year.
Particular emphasis is placed on serving the elderly, the physically challenged, and households
that are most in need. This is determined by income level and vulnerability to high energy bills.
The program operates through a network of 19 local agencies known as the Colorado Energy
Coalition. These agencies employ more than 300 staff to provide comprehensive weatherization
services to every county in Colorado. Weatherization crews use state-of-the-art techniques,
tools, and materials to identify the most costly heat loss areas in a home.
Contact: Rob DeSoto, (303) 620-4292
Florida
Alternatively Fueled Tram Services Pedestrian Mall: One small,
propane-powered tram has instigated one of the largest public-private partnerships on Florida's
west coast. The Franklin Street Mall Tram Demonstration Project is the first project of the (as
yet undesignated) Suncoast Clean Cities Coalition. The tram, currently on a three-month loan
from Tampa's Busch Gardens attraction, began providing free lunchtime transportation along the
pedestrian mall on September 15, 1995. If the demonstration proves successful, the regional
transit authority is considering the purchase of electric or natural gas trams to continue the
service. The demonstration is being sponsored by the Busch Entertainment Corporation,
USDOE Clean Cities Program, Suncoast Clean Cities Coalition, Florida Energy Office, People's
Gas System, Tampa Downtown Partnership, Franklin Street Mall Merchants' Association, City of
Tampa, Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority, and Argenbright and Associates.
Contact: Peter Valko, (813) 223-6831
Iowa
Comparative Risk Assessment Process for Iowa: The Department of Natural
Resources is embarking on an initiative to identify and rank the risks impacting our environment.
With a grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Department will initiate the
Comparative Risk Assessment process for Iowa to: 1) identify and rank the risks impacting our
environment; 2) help the public understand the relationship between their energy choices and
environmental risks; and 3) use new understandings of environmental risk to promote sound
energy choices. The focus of the project will be to link the three Es (Energy, Environment and
Economy) and to show that the links between them can help decision makers when seeking the
most cost-effective solutions to address environmental problems.
Contact: Shashi Goel, (515) 281-8518
Kentucky
Kentucky Clean Fuels Coalition Receives Award: Melissa Howell, program
manager of the Kentucky Clean Fuels Coalition (KCFC), received Kentucky's 1995
Environmental Excellence Award in the category of "energy efficiency and alternate energy."
The award was presented at the 20th Annual Governor's Conference on the Environment on
October 27, 1995. Ms. Howell helped found the KCFC, a nonprofit organization, in 1993 to
promote the use of alternative fuel vehicles (AFVs). The coalition has brought together
alternative fuel suppliers, AFV equipment manufacturers, fleet managers, and various branches
of government. One of the first results of the combined efforts of these stakeholders was the
award in 1994 of a grant of $1.5 million to Jefferson County from the federal Congestion
Mitigation and Air Quality program to fund the conversion of approximately 500 public and
semi-public vehicles to dual-fuel operation. The KCFC was instrumental in having
Louisville-Jefferson County designated by USDOE in October 1994 as the 20th city in the
federal Clean Cities program. Ms. Howell is now helping stakeholders in the Northern Kentucky
and Cincinnati area form an AFV coalition.
Contact: Geoffrey Young, (502) 564-7192
NEVADA
Western States Recycling Conference: The "Western States RECYCLING:
Building Sustainable Economic Growth" Conference and Exhibition will be held on November
29-30, 1995 at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, Nevada. The conference is a cooperative
project involving the USEPA Region IX office and locally coordinated by the Nevada Recycling
Coalition (NVRC). The conference will include participation of leaders from eight western
states and will cover three major issues of interest: 1) emerging recycling technologies and new
business opportunities; 2) economic development through recycling business creation and
expansion; and 3) resource-efficient construction and recycled content building materials. In
addition to the Nevada State Energy Office (NSEO), other sponsors include the Arizona
Department of Commerce, Clean Hawaii Center, California Resource Recovery Association,
Association of Oregon Recyclers, King County (Washington) Commission for Marketing
Recyclable Materials, National Association of Purchasing Management, and the National
Association of HomeBuilders Research Center. Conference attendance costs will be very low.
The two-day attendance fee (including lunches and mixers) is only $60 for those who register
before October 27, 1995; hotel rooms are available for as little as $29 per night.
Contact: Dave McNeil, (702) 687-4909 or Tom Polikalas, (702) 829-6872
North Carolina
No-Till Energy Program Saves Farmers Money While Protecting Topsoil:
The North Carolina Energy Division is encouraging an environmentally friendly trend on North
Carolina farms by offering a $1,000 rebate to farmers who purchase no-till farm equipment.
No-till farm equipment saves money on fuel while helping to conserve the state's topsoil.
Farmers who plan to participate in the rebate program must call the Energy Division for a rebate
number before making the purchase. The rebate number assigned by division officials ensures
farmers that there are funds available before they make purchases. Farmers then mail a complete
rebate form, along with a sales receipt and record of the equipment's model and serial number, to
the Energy Division within three days. The Energy Division and farm equipment dealers keep a
list of equipment eligible for the rebate. No-till farming reduces the fuel costs associated with
tilling. The no-till method is considered a significant step on behalf of environmental protection
because no-till farming eliminates the soil disturbance commonly associated with erosion of
topsoil in hilly areas such as terrain found in the North Carolina piedmont. No-till farming helps
trap moisture in the soil because protective layers of plant residue are not removed as they are
with traditional plowing methods. The no-till rebates will be paid only to the first 250 rebate
requests meeting program rules.
Contact: Brenda Chesson, (919) 733-1896
Oregon
Telecommute America! There are more than 10 million active telecommuters
nationwide, and this month Oregon telecommuters are taking part in a nationwide program.
"Telecommute America! Discover a New Workplace" is aimed at increasing awareness,
surveying telecommuters, and encouraging employees and employers to consider this workplace
alternative during the week of October 23-27, 1995. Telecommuting contributes to conserving
energy, reducing traffic, improving air quality, increasing worker productivity, decreasing
overhead costs, and balancing work and family lives. Telecommuters work at home or at a work
center close to their home one to three times a week rather than commuting to a main office.
According to estimates by The Emerging Technology Group, Ithaca, New York, 15 million
people will telecommuting by the year 2000. The Oregon Department of Energy offers on-site
technical assistance to organizations and businesses interested in setting up telecommuting
programs. For information, a training video, or "how-to" materials for individuals, firms, and
organizations, call the department at 1-800-221-8035. A 35 percent state tax credit is available
for approved projects to help offset costs of telecommuting equipment and installation.
Telework America! offers a toll-free number and a World Wide Web site for people seeking
information and resources. The phone number is 1-800-835-3933. The Web is
(http://www.telecommute.org/). The web will also link you with a news and
discussion group and off-site links to other useful telecommuting, home office and virtual office
information. This national program is sponsored by the Association for Commuter
Transportation, corporations, nonprofits, and government agencies.
Contact: Sandy Post, (503) 378-4390 or Kathy King, (503) 378-5584
South Carolina
South Carolina Energy Office Receives Funding: The South Carolina Energy
Office recently received funding from the U.S. Department of Energy to provide training to the
building community. Titled "To Promote the Implementation/ Enforcement of the Updated
Energy Code," the grant provides the state's building community with a series of specialized
workshops in order to comply with the South Carolina Building Energy Efficiency Standard Act.
The first workshop, held in October, served to educate county and municipal administrators in
building energy codes and the economic advantages of enforcing them. Through a panel of guest
speakers, this session promoted a dialogue between those counties with a building energy code
and those counties without one. Guest speakers included Dennis Creech of Southface Energy
Institute, Eddie Richardson of Mid-Carolina Electric Cooperative, Katie McQueen of the
Building Code Assistance Project of Washington, DC, Vaughn Wicker of the Southern Building
Codes Congress International, Tom Penciake of the Insurance Services Organization, Inc. of
Parisipppany, New Jersey, Dean Kruger of the South Carolina Department of Insurance, Robert
Croom of the South Carolina Association of Counties, and Howard Duvall of the Municipal
Association of South Carolina. Additional workshops will be held in other regions of the state in
1996 and 1997. The South Carolina Energy Office encourages the use of the Energy Code to
conserve energy and reduce the amount of imported energy required. Building energy-wise
structures improves energy efficiency and has a positive impact on our economy.
Contact: Renee' Sharpe, (803) 737-8030
Wisconsin
Midwest Motor Systems Consortium Moves Market: Many businesses are
wasting money and energy due to inefficiencies in their electric motor-driven systems. If
energy-efficient motor systems became the new standard in the motors market, businesses could
reduce their operating costs while helping the environment. At the same time, motor
manufacturers, distributors and system engineers could serve their customers better by offering
advanced, high quality products and services. To help the market move toward this high
efficiency standard, the Midwest Motor Systems Consortium is taking a grassroots approach,
working directly with everyone involved. Organized by the Energy Center of Wisconsin
(formerly the Wisconsin Center for Demand Side Research), in cooperation with the U.S.
Department of Energy, the consortium brings together motor system users, motor distributors,
motor and motor drive manufacturers, utilities, engineers, federal and state regulators, educators,
and other interested parties to find the most practical and economical ways to make
energy-efficient motor system a popular choice for business. The consortium has about 130
members from ten Midwestern states, including several major national motor manufacturers. The
group has a clearinghouse of motor system information that illustrates the practical and economic
benefits of purchasing energy-efficient motors and motor-driven systems, and the proper
operation and maintenance of these systems.
Contact: Angela Prestil, (608) 238-4601
Pilot Program Will Help Schools Save Energy: Schools in six Wisconsin counties
will be the first in the state to participate in a pilot program to help schools identify and finance
energy efficiency improvements. Phase II of Governor Thompson's Wisconsin Energy Initiative
allows schools to modernize facilities, improve lighting, increase heating comfort and manage
energy use. Developed and administered by the Wisconsin Energy Bureau in the state
Department of Administration, the program is underway in two Cooperative Education Service
Agency (CESA) districts. Program coordinators with the CESA districts are helping schools
determine the potential for energy savings, solicit for engineering analyses, service short-term
financing from the Energy Bureau for engineering analyses, enter into lease-purchase
agreements, oversee installation of improvements, and monitor energy use. Participating schools
will not have to use existing budgets or incur debt to finance engineering analyses or energy
improvements. Short-term funding is available which will be repaid from the proceeds of
lease-purchase agreements. Subsequent energy savings will pay for the lease-purchases. The
Energy Bureau uses oil overcharge funds to provide short-term financing. Nine private lenders
provide competitive rates for the lease-purchase arrangements. The program will be expanded
statewide in the future.
Contact: Norman Bair, (608) 266-5827
