AmerenUE announced today that its Business Energy Efficiency Program, launched Feb. 11, 2009, has completed a highly successful first year. UE received more than 1,000 applications and paid out more than $1.8 million in incentives for the installations of energy efficient lighting; motors; heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and refrigeration.
The $24 million program also includes cash incentives for designers and developers who build energy-efficient buildings and customers who make energy-saving modifications to existing structures.
The 481 projects completed in 2009-2010 will save 31,750,962 kilowatthours (kWh) of electricity per year. That’s the environmental equivalent of planting 584,677 trees or taking 4,360 vehicles off the road for a year.
“The goal of the Business Energy Efficiency Program incentives is to encourage improvements to building energy efficiency through technical assistance and financial incentives that trigger cost-effective retrofits,” says UE Senior Program Manager for Business Energy Efficiency Pat Justis.
“We are extremely pleased with the high level of interest our business customers have shown in the program,” adds Justis. “It is a clear indication that they are seeking ways to reduce their energy usage and costs. Energy Efficiency is a low-cost resource that also reduces environmental impacts, and that benefits all Missourians.”
Among the highlights of the program’s first year:
• With separate grants, Saint Louis University and St. Louis Children’s Hospital replaced old, inefficient lighting in many of their parking garages, reducing the amount of energy needed to light the garages by nearly 2 million kWh annually.
• The City of Eureka replaced an old, inefficient blower in its wastewater treatment facility, reducing the amount of energy needed by more than 219,000 kWh annually.
• St. Louis Metallizing Company, the first company to benefit from the program, reduced its energy use by about 30,331 kWh per year, thanks to the installation of efficient lighting in the majority of the company’s shop areas.
For more information on UE’s Energy Efficiency Program and to apply for incentives, visit www.UEfficiency.com, or call toll free, 866-941-7299.
AmerenUE, founded in 1902, provides electric and gas service to approximately 1.2 million customers across central and eastern Missouri, including the greater St. Louis area. UE serves 57 Missouri counties and 500 towns. The company's electric rates are among the lowest in the nation. For more information, visit www.ameren.com.
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Contact: Tim Fox 314-554-4335