Municipal utilities help customers lower utility bills and improve the environment

Partnership saved enough energy in 2010 to power a small town for a month

ORLANDO, Fla., Dec. 1, 2010 – Municipal electric utilities in 14 Florida communities helped customers save nearly 4 million kilowatt-hours in 12 months, enough energy to power approximately 4,000 average-size households for a month.

The savings were generated by rebates, give-aways and education programs funded by an energy conservation fund for 14 Florida cities, including Bushnell, Clewiston, Fort Meade, Fort Pierce, Green Cove Springs, Town of Havana, Jacksonville Beach, Key West, Kissimmee, Lake Worth, Leesburg, Newberry, Ocala and Starke. The cities worked together on the program through the Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA).

“Energy conservation produces the double benefit of lowering customers’ bills and improving the environment,” said FMPA General Manager and CEO Nicholas P. Guarriello. “We are pleased our investment in energy efficiency received such an enthusiastic response from customers.”

Conservation Fund Part of FMPA Green Initiative

FMPA’s conservation fund was launched in October 2008 as part of a green initiative, called Greener Communities Greener World. The fund allows member utilities to jointly develop a menu of conservation programs that each city can select from based on its individual needs. The programs include give-aways of energy-saving kits and compact fluorescent light bulbs, rebates for more than a dozen energy-efficient or energy-saving products, and educational brochures and videos. Cities have the opportunity to create unique programs that meet their local communities’ needs, and the results have varied from partnerships with local retailers to home energy “makeover” giveaways.

Programs Save Millions of Kilowatt-Hours Annually

For the 12-month period ending Sept. 30, 2010, customers saved nearly 4 million kilowatt-hours, enough energy to power a small town for a month. Other highlights include:

• In only two years, the conservation fund has created programs that will save customers more than 5 million kilowatt-hours annually, or 38 million kilowatt-hours over the life of the products purchased or measures taken.

• 11,722 compact fluorescent light-bulbs and 4,366 energy-saving kits were given away in fiscal 2009 and 2010.

• $668,144 returned to customers in the form of rebates for energy-saving products in fiscal 2009 and 2010.

• More than 5,800 free energy conservation DVDs made available to customers in one 12-month period.

“While the actions we’re asking customers to take seem small, like changing a light bulb or installing a programmable thermostat, they add up to big results statewide,” said Guarriello. “This is joint action at its best, helping consumers and the environment to make our communities greener.”

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Florida Municipal Power Agency (FMPA) is a wholesale power company owned by 30 municipal electric utilities. FMPA provides economies of scale in power generation and related services to support community-owned electric utilities. The members of FMPA serve approximately 2 million Floridians. FMPA’s members include Alachua, Bartow, Blountstown, Bushnell, Chattahoochee, Clewiston, Fort Meade, Fort Pierce, Gainesville, Green Cove Springs, Havana, Homestead, Jacksonville Beach, Key West, Kissimmee, Lake Worth, Lakeland, Leesburg, Moore Haven, Mount Dora, New Smyrna Beach, Newberry, Ocala, Orlando, Quincy, St. Cloud, Starke, Vero Beach, Wauchula and Williston.