News & Columns > Michael P. Neufeld > County Forms Energy Partnership with Edison

County Forms Energy Partnership with Edison

Identifying Ways to Make Facilities More Energy Efficient

By Michael P. Neufeld
Saturday, November 29, 2008

San Bernardino, CA - Southern California Edison (SCE), and the County of San Bernardino, are teaming up to identify ways the county can make its existing, and planned, facilities more energy efficient. This is according to a no-cost contract that has recently been approved by the Board of Supervisors.

The county, and Edison, are forming what's known as an energy partnership. SCE and the county staff will examine county facilities and identify potential retrofit projects that would reduce energy usage. SCE will help the county prioritize the projects, based on their potential for energy savings and expected cost. SCE will also work with the county to identify ways to incorporate energy-efficiencies into new facilities.

"With the help of the energy experts from SCE, we're going to take a comprehensive look at all county facilities, and planned facilities, to ensure they are as energy efficient as possible," said Board of Supervisors Chairman Paul Biane. The August 2007 launch of Green County San Bernardino – a multifaceted program aimed at reducing the county's impacts on the environment - was spearheaded by Biane.

San Bernardino County Government Center (Photo by Michael P. Neufeld.)

"The energy savings this partnership will generate will help lower the county's utility bills for the long-term, but more importantly, we'll be setting an example for others to follow, as we work together to conserve our resources and develop sustainable communities," Biane concluded.

In addition to securing technical support from SCE, the energy partnership also means the county will be eligible for increased rebates for future energy efficiency projects. For example, on a lighting retrofit project, the county will receive 15 cents per kilowatt saved under the agreement.

Without the agreement in place, the county would only receive five (5) cents per kilowatt saved. The rebates come from a pool of money managed by the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC).

The county plans to form a similar energy partnership with the Southern California Gas Company.