Energy Cost Avoidance Program Saving Tax Dollars
The Huntington School District's campaign to avoid energy costs passed a milestone this past spring. Since it began in February 2001, the program has saved taxpayers more than $3 million.
The energy "cost avoidance program," as it is formally called, educates employees about conservation measures they can take on their own, while also aggressively targeting after school hours, including nights, weekends and vacation periods and zeroing in on big energy using equipment.
Through its first nine years, the program produced a cost avoidance of $3,005,297.66 or 28.26 percent of what the district's bill would have been without the initiative. Frank Conforti, the district's energy education manager, works closely with David H. Grackin, assistant superintendent for finance and management services, to develop strategies aimed at reducing energy usage.
As the largest and most active school building in the district, Huntington High School has seen the biggest savings, as $1,466,588 in energy costs have been averted through March. The total amounts to a savings of 36.28 percent. Over the past nine years, the district incurred energy expenses of $2,575,955 at the high school. Without the conservation program, the tab would have been $4,042,543.
The savings at Jack Abrams Intermediate School, which until recently had housed more than 500 fourth, fifth and sixth graders and also hosts the district's administrative offices, came to $495,674 or 26.30 percent. Energy costs at Jack Abrams School were $1,389,156. Without the CAP, the bill would have been $1,884,830.
The district saved money at J. Taylor Finley Middle School, too. Finley consumed $1,243,055 worth of energy over the first nine years of the program instead of $1,594,218, which it would have gobbled up without the conservation efforts. The savings amounted to 22.03 percent of its costs.
At Woodhull Intermediate School, $279,726 worth of energy expenses were avoided or 30.19 percent. Woodhull's energy bill over nine years came in at $646,751 instead of $926,477.
There have also been savings at Southdown ($148,630), Flower Hill ($96,851), Washington ($89,841) and Jefferson ($76,825) primary schools. Differences in the amount of savings between buildings are attributed to their size, usage and the existing energy efficiency of each site.
Over the past nine years (through March), the district spent $7,629,695 on energy compared to the $10,634,993 it would have spent without the cost avoidance program. "These savings are real and they help to hold down taxes," Superintendent John J. Finello said.
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