Warwick joins EPA initiative for energy efficiency

WARWICK – The City of Warwick is one of 30 New England communities, and the only one in Rhode Island, to join a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency program designed to encourage energy efficiency, the EPA’s New England regional office announced today.

As one of 30 New England communities that have signed on to participate in the Community Energy Challenge, Warwick will be measuring energy use in schools, municipal buildings or wastewater facilities using the Energy Star “Portfolio Manager” tool, according to the EPA. The agency is working with utilities, nonprofits, businesses and others to create resources that the communities can use to help improve energy efficiency and take advantage of renewable energy resources.

The Community Energy Challenge – a national campaign to improve energy efficiency in commercial and industrial buildings by 10 percent or more – is part of the Energy Star series of programs, which saved $14 billion and 37 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions in 2006.
“Energy use is the largest source of air pollution in the region and the country,” said Robert W. Varney, the EPA’s regional administrator for New England, in a press release. “As much as 30 percent of energy consumed by buildings is wasted, offering program participants a significant opportunity to strategically reduce unnecessary consumption in buildings, while reducing energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.”
About 13 percent of New England’s population – or about 2 million people – live in cities and towns that have joined the challenge. In addition to Warwick, local participants include the Bristol County, Mass., communities of Easton, Mansfield and New Bedford.

For more information about the Community Energy Challenge and other EPA programs in New England, go to epa.gov/region1/eco/energy.

- Advertisement -

No posts to display