Demonstrating that sustainability and green initiatives can pay immediate dividends, Culver City recently reduced energy consumption in three city-owned parking structures. The latest was the Watseka Parking Structure, where in less than eight weeks, the City reduced electricity use by a whopping 56 percent.
“Through Culver City’s energy-saving measures at city-owned facilities, we hope to encourage residents and businesses to also take action to reduce their energy consumption,” Culver City Mayor Jeffrey Cooper said. “Culver City is committed to reducing its carbon footprint, cutting energy use, and saving taxpayer money.”
Thanks to the assistance of The Energy Network, Culver City was able to complete the Watseka Parking Structure project in record time. The Energy Network is a regional resource that provides free services to public agencies looking to upgrade their facilities to be more energy efficient. The program also provides resources to homeowners and businesses.
Using the free services of The Energy Network, the city replaced approximately 150 old and inefficient lights bulbs in the 300-plus capacity garage. The move will save the City $17,512 annually in electricity costs and reduce its annual energy use by 126,034 kWh. The new light fixtures also will last longer, which translates to lower maintenance costs.
To help residents and businesses also take action, Culver City has invited the public to connect with The Energy Network to identify home upgrades and energy efficiency loans. The Energy Network is a program administered by the County of Los Angeles and funded by California utility ratepayers under the auspices of the California Public Utilities Commission. The Energy Network was created to harness the collective power of residents, business and the public sector to achieve an unprecedented level of energy savings across Southern California. The Energy Network can be accessed by going to: http://theenergynetwork.com/
To further advance the City’s goals to reduce energy consumption, the City participated in the Community Energy Partnership (CEP), http://communityenergypartnership.org/, which is a collaboration among seven other Southern California cities, Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas Company, and The Energy Coalition. Its mission is to build positive relationships among cities, energy consumers, and their serving utilities, and to educate communities about sustainable and efficient energy practices. The attached Fact Sheet has additional information about the City’s success with the Community Energy Partnership.
The City Council encourages residents and business owners to look into all of these available resources and those opportunities provided through their utility, either Southern California Edison (SCE) or Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). SCE customers who want to learn more about rebate programs can visit: https://www.sce.com/wps/portal/home/residential or https://www.sce.com/wps/portal/home/business.
LADWP customers who want to lower their energy bills can go to: www.ladwp.com. The City Council hopes that entire community had an enjoyable Earth Day.