Release Date: 10/11/2012
Contact Details: Davina Marraccini, (404) 562-8293, marraccini.davina@environmental protection agency.gov
(ATLANTA – March. 11, 2012) In a ceremony today in Nashville, Environmental protection agency and also the Tennessee Department of Atmosphere and Conservation (TDEC) authorities recognized seven h2o and wastewater utilities throughout Tennessee for his or her efforts to lessen energy demand in their facilities. Enhancements already made at four from the utilities are saving 3,300,000 kilowatt hrs (kWh), $260,000 and also over 3200 a lot of annual co2 (CO2) pollutants.
Put into additional enhancements going ahead or planned in the utilities, the initiative is anticipated in order to save over 7 million kWh each year and lower CO2 pollutants by 6,696 tons—equivalent to getting rid of 1,190 cars in the road or running 739 houses for any year. Taking part utilities are forecasted in order to save a typical 17.8 percent in energy demand—amounting for an believed $663,750 on price savings, with individual utilities likely to save between $15,750 and $210,000 each.
“Drinking water and wastewater systems take into account roughly 3 to 4 percent of one’s use within the U . s . States, adding over 45 million a lot of green house gases yearly,” stated Environmental protection agency Regional Administrator Gwen Keyes Fleming. “EPA applauds these utilities in Tennessee for his or her leadership in lessening energy use, that is likely to save costs and yield substantial health insurance and environment benefits over the condition and Southeastern region.”
The utilities as well as their forecasted annual energy and price savings include:
? Caryville-Jacksboro Utilities Commission (188,000 kWh, $15,750)
? Town of Columbia (1,300,000 kWh, $100,000)
? Fayetteville Public Utilities (517,000 kWh, $34,000)
? Town of Franklin (1,699,440 kWh, $194,000)
? First Utility District of Knox County (710,000 kWh, $68,000)
? Lenoir City Utilities Board (523,000 kWh, $42,000)
? Nashville Metro Water Services (2,400,000 kWh, $210,000)
“TDEC has worked to become more customer-focused department, enhancing both our community outreach and helping us maintain significant close ties with key stakeholders,” stated TDEC Commissioner Bob Martineau. “Today’s gathering is a superb illustration of how government close ties can function together and we have been very happy to help provide these towns with energy efficiency tools, expertise and support for Tennessee’s water and wastewater utilities — aiding them in lessening energy costs and environment pollution, while saving cash and reaping helpful benefits their ratepayers.”
Each one of the utilities took part in training courses and carried out energy checks to find out just how to lessen energy use in their particular plants. Operational enhancements ranged from reducing the amount and employ of blowers to modifying collection, Ultra violet disinfection and aerobic digestion ways to optimize performance. Several utilities take part in EnerNOC, TVA’s demand response program. Additionally, two utilities added cell arrays for their plants which permitted these to realize further energy savings. The utilities used EPA’s online ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager to benchmark and track energy use and savings in their facilities.
The Tennessee Water and Wastewater Energy Efficiency Partnership started this year like a collaboration of Environmental protection agency Region 4, TDEC, the Tennessee Valley Authority, the College of Memphis, the College of Tennessee’s Municipal Technical Advisory Service, the Environment Finance Center (College of New York) and Schneider Electric. It’s the first state-wide effort available within the Southeast.