City gets CenterPoint rebate

Mayor Bill White announced last week that the City of Houston has received a rebate check from CenterPoint Energy as a part of a program to control energy consumption through the use of more efficient LED traffic signal lighting.
The $148,000 rebate is the first installment of $1 million in rebates the City expects to collect through installation of a total of 2,400 LED signals, citywide. A total of 300 signals have been hung, so far. Because the lights use less energy, the City expects to save significant additional money each year.
The rebates are offered as a part of CenterPoint Energy’s 2007 Commercial & Industrial Standard Offer Program. The program offers incentives to large industrial electricity users, who cut energy consumption. CenterPoint offers rebates because they are able to better manage their supply and costs for producing power.
“One of the largest bills the City of Houston pays is for the energy to run operations that citizens count on such as traffic signals, electricity for fire and police stations and energy to pump fresh water. By controlling our consumption, we control the cost of City government,” said White. “When large energy consumers control their usage, one benefit is better cost control for all consumers.”
The City of Houston LED Traffic Signal Project produced a savings of 326kw and 2,857,059 kwh. The City plans to install the remaining 2,100 signals as part of this program within the next 18 months.