LIPA Launches Effort to Help Schools & Muni Governments Switch to Energy Saving CFLs

LIPA Will Underwrite Effort to Reduce CFL Prices to Below Wholesale Cost

Merrick – The Long Island Power Authority (LIPA) today announced a new initiative to encourage school districts and municipal governments on Long Island to switch to energy efficient compact fluorescent bulbs by offering CFLs at below wholesale cost.

LIPA CEO Richard M. Kessel called on all local governments and school districts to convert to CFLs to the greatest extent possible within three years. Any Long Island governments and school districts that do so would benefit immediately, because LIPA will underwrite the purchase of the CFLs so that the final price paid by participating entities will be well below wholesale cost. This will produce immediate savings by reducing out-of-pocket expenses, which is similar to receiving an instant rebate on each CFL purchased.

Depending on the level of participation, schools and municipalities could enjoy savings of $5,000 or more by taking advantage of LIPA’s special CFL price break incentive.

Mr. Kessel also called on local governments to amend their zoning codes to require CFLs for all new structures and additions to existing structures.

“CFLs are the best, lowest cost and quickest way to cut electric use and lower electric bills through energy efficiency,” said Richard M. Kessel, CEO and President of LIPA.

“So to make it even more cost effective, LIPA will provide CFLs to schools and municipal governments across the island at cost. In this way, we can help these entities make the transition to CFLs to make these facilities incandescent free as quickly as possible. Furthermore, LIPA will offer a modest incentive to any school district or municipality that converts to CFLs within three years.”

Mr. Kessel noted that:

CFL’s generally use about 25 to 33 percent less electricity than regular incandescent bulbs, and generate 70% less heat, which helps reduce the amount of electricity used during the cooling season.
The time has come for Long Island to make a major commitment to reducing its energy consumption by utilizing CFL’s wherever practical;
A good place to start is schools and governmental buildings across the Island where leadership is taught and practiced, and where every kilowatt hour saved translates into an associated savings to taxpayers;
LIPA is seeking to help municipalities and school districts within its service territory to replace every incandescent bulb in their facilities with an energy efficient CFL wherever practical.
In order to help facilitate this transition, LIPA will work with the schools and the local governments through its Clean Energy bulk purchase and incentive programs to ensure that the cost of a standard spiral bulb is no more than $1.50 per bulb. For reflector (high hat replacement) bulbs LIPA will keep the cost down to $2.50 per bulb, and for specialty bulbs LIPA will limit the cost to $2.25 per bulb. LIPA will also provide a rebate of up to $5,000 to any municipality or school district that converts to CFLs within three years.
At these prices a standard spiral 22 watt CFL (100 watt incandescent replacement) used an average of 8 hours per day will pay for itself in 15 days and then generate an additional $137.00 in savings over the balance of its 10,000 hour life. Correspondingly, a 22 watt reflector CFL will pay for itself in 42 days and then generate an additional $77.00 in savings over the balance of its life, and lastly a 13 watt specialty CFL (60 watt incandescent replacement) will pay for itself in 46 days and then generate a balance $46.00 in savings over the balance of its life.

“Simple steps can have a substantial impact in the fight to stop the devastation of climate change. Changing light bulbs can change our future,” said Adrienne Esposito, Executive Director of Citizens Campaign for the Environment. “Schools and municipalities have an obligation to implement changes that are meaningful and inspirational so that others can join the fight to save our planet.”

"I commend LIPA for developing an innovative way to reduce energy consumption while also producing real savings for our school districts and local governments,” said Assemblyman Tom McKevitt (R-17th District).

To implement the effort to help transition Long Island school and municipal buildings to CFLs, LIPA will be in contact with all of the island’s school districts, county, city, town and village governments with information on how to acquire CFLs from LIPA at the discounted prices, along with rebate eligibility.

“Once municipal governments and school districts take the lead, all of Long Island can follow suit, while saving money and the environment at the same time,” concluded Mr. Kessel.

LIPA, a non-profit municipal electric provider, owns the retail electric Transmission and Distribution System on Long Island and provides electric service to more than 1.1 million customers in Nassau and Suffolk counties and the Rockaway Peninsula in Queens. LIPA is the 2nd largest municipal electric utility in the nation in terms of electric revenues, 3rd largest in terms of customers served and the 7th largest in terms of electricity delivered. In 2010, LIPA outperformed all other overhead electric utilities in New York State for frequency of service interruptions, and ranked second for duration of service interruptions. LIPA does not provide natural gas service or own any on-island generating assets. More information about LIPA can be found online at: http://www.lipower.org.

Media Contact Information
Mark Gross
Phone - (516) 719-9892
Media Pager - (516) 229-7248
media.relations@lipower.org

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