The city of Starkville and Oktibbeha County will be featured in a 30-minute documentary highlighting energy-efficient projects undertaken by local governments.
Taking Charge will profile six communities in the state that took advantage of energy audit assistance and grants made available through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant Program to make improvements to local facilities. It is set to air at 8:30 Thursday night on Mississippi Public Broadcasting.
The program, part of a partnership between MPB and the Mississippi Development Authority, will feature the Starkville Electric Department, which was granted $80,000 for a traffic light conversion project that the city matched with $24,000 for labor. SED General Manager Terry Kemp said the city, starting in May 2011, replaced incandescent bulbs with LED lights at 48 intersections throughout the city.
According to Kemp, an average LED unit draws only 10 watts, where an incandescent bulb can draw approximately 69 watts. Along with a number of other benefits that accompany the LED conversion, the reduced wattage alone results in an 81 percent decrease in overall yearly energy usage for the city, he said.
“The intensity of the lights are a lot better, but, of course, the energy savings are there and it has significant reductions on our maintenance costs,” Kemp said. “We have not had to replace any LED bulbs since the completion of the project.”
Oktibbeha County also took advantage of the EECBG grant funding by making HVAC and control system improvements and lighting upgrades to six Oktibbeha County buildings including the justice center and courthouse.
MDA’s Education and Outreach Manager Gayle Sims said Oktibbeha County and Starkville were both chosen because there were several projects they could focus on in a small area. Taking Charge will also feature successful projects in McComb, Philadelphia, Sumrall and Lincoln County.
“We selected a cross section of communities from around the state,” Sims said. “Oktibbeha County and Starkville stuck out because there was a really good selection of projects. It made it pretty easy on us.”
She said the one-time EECBG program administered $6.9 million in sub-grants to 88 cities and counties who applied with plans that included project identification, estimated costs and the projected energy savings. Cities could receive up to $100,000, while counties could receive up to $175,000. The program was funded by stimulus money awarded to the state through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009.
“It was a once in a lifetime opportunity for our cities and communities to become more energy efficient,” Sims said. “A lot of communities, especially the small ones, have a hard time securing the funding for these kind of projects, and this was a great chance to bypass that.”
MPB Director of Public Relations Margaret McPhillips said the project fits in with exactly what MPB tries to do on a daily basis – highlight the good things that are going on in the state of Mississippi.
“It’s showing how Mississippi communities are saving money for their citizens, and also encouraging your average Mississippian to take a minute to think about the steps they can take individually to curb their energy costs,” McPhillips said.
Kemp said SED, with help from the Tennessee Valley Authority, offers services for both residential and commercial customers interested in learning how to reduce their energy usage, and can call the SED office for more details.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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