VENTURA, Calif., May 24, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Ventura County's outstanding cost savings and sustainability efforts have earned them the silver level in Southern California Edison's (SCE) Energy Leader Partner Program. The Energy Leader Partnership Program awards local governments who are performing outstanding sustainability efforts with the support to identify and address energy efficiency opportunities in municipal facilities. The County of Ventura who is saving over 6 million kilowatt hours annually through energy efficiency projects has earned the distinction of Silver level in the program.
Board of Supervisors Chairman John Zaragoza says, "It is very important that the County of Ventura continues to be energy efficient and reduce our carbon footprint, energy use, and energy costs... I am very proud that we have taken this step toward greater energy efficiency and cost effectiveness."
Considering the County's growth in services to the community, including the opening of the Santa Paula Hospital as well as other new facilities, the County was able to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 1,673 CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) from 2008 to 2010, which equates to taking 298 passenger vehicles off the road. These decreases are a direct result of energy efficiency projects, including the installation of solar arrays and building retrofits, as well as alternate technology for County fleet which has saved the county approximately $900,000.
In addition, the County of Ventura has also committed to participating in a demand response program, conducting energy audits, educating the community on additional energy efficiency measures, publicly reporting its greenhouse (GHG) emissions to The Climate Registry, and reducing those emissions by 15% by 2020.
Gene Rodrigues, Director of Customer Energy Efficiency and Solar for Southern California Edison, said, "We congratulate the County of Ventura on their efforts to implement a thorough county-wide energy and sustainability policy that serves as a model of environmental leadership."
VENTURA COUNTY was formed in 1873. Early Spanish settlers described the area as the "land of everlasting summers". Known for its Mediterranean climate with average annual temperatures of 74.2 degrees, the area has some of the best soil in the nation for agriculture production placing Ventura County among the top 10 agricultural producers in the state. Ventura has ten incorporated cities, and many other unincorporated communities with an estimated population of 823,000 residents. The County itself employs over 8,000 people within its 27 agencies and departments. Ventura County is home to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum, the Fillmore and Western Historic Railway, the San Buenaventura Mission, the Union Oil Museum, California State University Channel Islands, and the Port Hueneme Naval base with the state's smallest and only deep-water port between Los Angeles and San Francisco. www.ventura.org
ENERGY LEADERSHIP PARTNERSHIP is a program of Southern California Edison (SCE) that awards local governments with support to identify and address energy efficiency opportunities in municipal facilities. SCE currently has over 100 cities and counties participating in the local government partnership program. Local governments can achieve a silver, gold or platinum membership depending on their level of participation in the program.
The Climate Registry is California's voluntary greenhouse gas registry providing tools for organizations to measure, manage, and reduce their energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. www.theclimateregistry.org
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