The City of Weatherford has received a check for $10,109.90 from Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) as an incentive for installing high efficiency lighting at the city’s new fire station.

The installation qualified for PSO’s Model Cities program, which helps cities and local governments reduce operating costs by identifying and implementing energy efficiency improvement projects. Incentives are paid for qualifying projects based on the total amount of energy the new equipment will save.

It’s estimated the new energy efficient lighting at the fire station will save 126,254 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity per year, and lower the City’s electric bill by approximately $8,500 a year.

"The Model Cities helped us identify ways to conserve energy and save money, and that money can be reinvested directly back into our community," said Chuck Dougherty, Economic Development Director for the City of Weatherford. "This program reinforces that energy saving measures are a good way to maximize taxpayer funds."

PSO Customer Services Representative Donna Satterlee said that Model Cities has proven to be a valuable tool in helping PSO-served communities reduce electrical demand and hold down costs.

"We identified a real need for an energy efficiency program that specifically targets cities and local governments, especially as budgets are spread thin," said Satterlee. "By partnering with the City of Weatherford 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 more than 530,000 customers in eastern and southwestern Oklahoma. With headquarters in Tulsa, PSO has 4,321 megawatts of generating capacity and provides electricity to 230 cities and towns across a service area encompassing 30,000 square miles. News releases and other information about PSO can be found on the World Wide Web at www.PSOklahoma.com