San Joaquin finds savings in energy efficiency

The City of San Joaquin has brightened up its buildings and streets while saving money through a reduction in energy consumption.

A total of 35 brand new light emitting diode (LED) street lights have been installed, casting a brighter glow than the old high-pressure sodium bulbs they replaced.

Other related projects include programmable thermostats and occupancy sensors; together with the new street lights, the City can expect to reduce their energy consumption by 14,910 kilowatt hours producing an estimated savings of $1,790 per year.

Mayor Amarpreet Dhaliwal says this project is a big deal for the City as it isn’t costing the City a dime and it is leading the way in efforts to reduce energy consumption which is keeping with the goals of the City’s Local Government Partnership, a joint project with PG&E, whose purpose is to educate residents and businesses on energy conservation in order to generate reductions in energy consumption.

The money that makes the project possible comes from an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant provided through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The program is administered through the U.S. Department of Energy and the California Energy Commission.

San Joaquin joined with 35 other cities and counties in the region to form the San Joaquin Valley Clean Energy Partnership, which is led by the San Joaquin Valley Unified Air Pollution Control District with the assistance of the nonprofit San Joaquin Valley Clean Energy Organization. The Partnership administers the more than $4 million in grants and provides technical assistance to local governments.