RELEASE: IMMEDIATE, September
19, 2002
CONTACT: Ryan Moore
1-866-NYSERDA, ext.3267.
Counties Follow State's Lead in Adopting Energy Efficiency Measures
to Reduce Taxpayer Burdens and Help Protect the Environment
New York Counties to Save Hundreds of Thousands
of Dollars
Annually with Energy-Efficient Office Equipment
Albany, NY – A recent study funded by the New York State Energy
Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) finds that County governments
in New York State can reduce their annual operating budgets simply
by using energy-efficient office equipment. The study, conducted in
Albany, Broome and Erie Counties, found a combined savings of $150,000
a year through the correct use of Energy
Star® office equipment.
The three participating counties, all of which face increased demand
for public services and diminishing budgets, became interested in
energy-efficient office equipment as a means of stretching taxpayer
dollars further. As part of NYSERDA's New York State Local Government
Energy-Efficient Product Procurement Program (GEEP-NY), a team of
experts reviewed each of the Counties' equipment procurement and use
practices. The team estimated potential savings from purchasing Energy
Star® office equipment, enabling
the equipment's energy-saving features, and ensuring they were turned
off when not in use.
"By using more energy-efficient equipment, these counties have
the opportunity to save money and help preserve the environment,"
said NYSERDA President William M. Flynn. "This is a logical and
cost-effective decision, and I encourage all county and local governments
in the State to look at ways to reduce their energy use." Flynn
also added that this initiative is an easy way for the counties to
incorporate the guidelines of Governor Pataki's Executive Order No.
111 ("Green and Clean State Buildings and Vehicles"), an
order that will require all State-occupied offices to reduce energy
use by purchasing of Energy Star®
equipment, procuring renewable energy and alternative-fuel vehicles
and implementing green construction practices.
Erie County was different in that a team of energy efficiency experts,
appointed as a result of a 1998 legislative mandate requiring the
County reduce its energy use by 20 percent in five years, had already
ensured the County's Energy Star®
equipment was fully enabled and turned off at night. The County, which
saved more than $60,000 in 2001, reports high compliance with energy-saving
measures.
There are two reasons for this, says Erie County Executive Joel A.
Giambra. "First, our energy planning team made education a priority."
Giambra said. "People need to know how their actions link to
savings and they need to be reminded frequently. Second, we standardized
our equipment so we could centralize power management and make energy-saving
features harder for users to disable."
When the GEEP-NY team audited the office equipment in Broome County,
the County had already adopted several of the energy efficiency measures
described in Governor Pataki's Executive Order No. 111. Nevertheless,
County policymakers were impressed by the potential savings –estimated
at $50,000 annually– identified by the GEEP-NY audit.
"We're continually exploring ways to save electricity costs,"
said Broome County Executive Jeffrey P. Kraham. "It's wonderful
that we can save so much just by enabling the energy-saving features
on our existing office machines and switching them off at night."
Like many New York State Counties that buy their office equipment
through New York State Office of General Services (NYSOGS) contracts,
most of Albany County's office equipment purchased today is Energy
Star®. Besides simply purchasing
Energy Star® equipment, the GEEP-NY audit also revealed that Albany
County could save more than $50,000 by enabling the equipment's energy-saving
features and switching off equipment that is not in use for long periods.
Cost savings are not the only benefit associated with energy-efficient
office equipment. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency,
a 1,000-computer office could save the equivalent of annual emissions
from 27 cars or 18,000 gallons of gasoline simply by enabling the
power management features on its computer monitors.
Energy-efficient office products include such equipment as computers,
monitors, printers, fax machines and copiers that are Energy
Star® rated by the federal government.
The Energy Star®
program, a collaboration of the U.S. Department of Energy, the Environmental
Protection Agency and private companies, was created to single out
products that are more energy efficient than their counterparts and
make them easily available to consumers. Energy
Star® office products use less
energy, by including settings that users can enable so that monitors,
copiers and other office products automatically go into "sleep"
mode or "low power" mode when not in use.
NYSERDA is a public benefit corporation created in 1975 by the New
York State Legislature. The GEEP-NY program aims to reduce electric
energy use by County and other local governments by encouraging the
purchase or lease of Energy Star®
office equipment and the proper enabling of energy-saving features.
GEEP-NY is part of NYSERDA's New York Energy $martSM
initiative, which is designed to lower electricity costs by encouraging
energy efficiency as the State's electric utilities move to competition.
New York Energy $martSM encompasses many energy
efficiency programs and is available to all electric distribution
customers (residential, commercial, institutional and industrial)
of Central Hudson, Con Edison, NYSEG, Niagara Mohawk, Orange and Rockland,
and Rochester Gas and Electric. For more information about this and
other NYSERDA programs, call toll-free 1(866)-NYSERDA, or visit www.nyserda.org.
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