PUD, Local Builders Help Scappoose School District Reduce Electric Costs

December 7, 2007

Scappoose School District recently completed a three- year project to upgrade the lighting at Otto Peterson Elementary, Scappoose Middle School and the High School Gymnasium. The school district worked with a number of partners to significantly offset the project's $204,246 cost and will pay just $20,994 for the improvements.

The school district has replaced over 1,100 light fixtures in classrooms, offices, gymnasiums and common areas in the schools and will reduce its electricity costs by over $12,500 a year.

"Our goal with this project was to reduce energy costs, improve lighting and remove all lighting ballasts containing PCBs," said Tom Weaver, Maintenance Lead for the school district.

The project qualified for $85,156 in incentives from Columbia River PUD due to the improved efficiency of the new lighting fixtures. This project also received $56,018 from the Williams Oil Co. settlement funds, which are administered by the state of Oregon and targeted for rural schools actively pursuing efficiency improvements.

 

Local home builders Rich Bailey Construction and Stone Builders also made major contributions toward the project cost through the Oregon Business Energy Tax Credit's pass-through program. The builders and other pass-through partners paid $42,078 of the project costs, earning credits that will reduce their state taxes over the next five years.

"This is a great opportunity to support the schools in Scappoose. We build houses here and it's a way to support the community where we do business - plus it's just good business. If the schools are good it helps my business," said Rich Bailey.

For the school district all the financial incentives made this project a real winner. The district will pay just 10% of the project cost.

"Projects like these help us demonstrate to the community we are maximizing every opportunity we have to make prudent investments," said Superintendent Paul Peterson.