The City of Weatherford will be awarded an incentive check for $2,954 from Public Service Company of Oklahoma’s Model Cities Program for installing high efficiency light-emitting diode (LED) technology in traffic and crosswalk signals as well as upgrading the air conditioning system in the Pioneer Center.  Model Cities is offered by PSO to help city governments reduce operating costs by identifying and implementing energy efficiency improvement projects.
 
In addition to using less energy than the incandescent bulbs previously used in traffic signals, LED lights also last longer and require less frequent replacement. The incentive the city earned was determined by the total amount of energy it expects to save. The lighting and air conditioning systems installed will conserve over 73,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, equivalent to the carbon dioxide emissions of almost 6,000 gallons of gasoline, according Environmental Protection Agency calculations.
 
“The Model Cities Program helped us identify ways we can conserve energy and save money,” said Mayor Mike Brown. “That money can be reinvested directly into the community, and by conserving energy we are setting a positive example for Weatherford citizens.”
 
“We identified a real need for an energy efficiency program that specifically targets cities, especially as city budgets are spread thin,” said Tiffini Lyda, Western Oklahoma Community Affairs Manager for PSO.
 
“By partnering with the city to reduce energy costs, their valuable resources can be used for other needed projects.”
 
PSO, a unit of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), is an electric utility company serving approximately 527,000 customers in eastern and southwestern Oklahoma.  Based in Tulsa, PSO has 4,405 megawatts of generating capacity, and is the largest provider of wind energy in the state.  News releases and other information about PSO can be found on the World Wide Web at PSOklahoma.com.