Vienna, IL, Oct. 30, 2019 – Ameren Illinois officials joined with Warden Matthew Swalls and the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC) Tuesday morning to unveil a series of energy efficiency enhancements at the Vienna Correctional Center.
With help from the Ameren Illinois energy efficiency program, Vienna Correctional Center has undertaken HVAC and lighting upgrades that will conserve 1,097,920 kilowatt hours of energy per year. This is the equivalent of eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from 165 passenger vehicles driven for one year. The upgrades will also help the facility save about $90,000 annually.
“The long hours of operation and size of these facilities make correctional centers very energy-intensive,” said Warden Swalls. “The recent upgrades have propelled our facility forward by significantly reducing our energy consumption and helping us save money with minimal impact on day-to-day operations.”
During Tuesday’s event, Warden Swalls and the staff at the Vienna Correctional Center gave a brief overview of the project and invited attendees inside the facility for a look at the LED high mass lighting and the LED wall pack lighting that were installed as part of the project. The HVAC and lighting advancements are the first significant energy-related upgrades since the facility was built in the late 1960’s.
“Energy efficiency is exciting terrain for the Illinois Department of Corrections,” said Kim Smith, Deputy Director, IDOC. “We are hopeful that the unique partnership showcased today can spur other impactful energy-savings projects in correctional centers across Illinois.”
“Through our energy efficiency programs, we assist companies in the public and private sectors by evaluating their energy usage habits and recommending strategic improvements and fixes,” said Ken Woolcutt, Energy Efficiency Manager, Ameren Illinois. “We were thrilled to work alongside Warden Swalls and the Vienna Correctional Center team to help them realize their goals and become a trendsetter for other prisons when it comes to energy efficiency.”
About Ameren Illinois
Ameren Illinois delivers energy to 1.2 million electric and 816,000 natural gas customers in Illinois. Our mission is to power the quality of life. Our service territory covers more than 1,200 communities and 43,700 square miles. For more information, visit AmerenIllinois.com, find us on Twitter @AmerenIllinois or Facebook.