Energy Office Wins Award

On Oct. 4, the V. I. Energy Office was awarded the 2011 Public-Private Partnership Award for Innovation by the National Council for Public-Private Partnerships (NCPPP). The Office is being recognized for the development of the  Energy Alliance Program, which was launched earlier this year, to address soaring energy costs within government agencies.

“During Energy Awareness Month, it is particularly noteworthy that we receive this recognition from the NCPPP for the efforts being made in the territory by the Government of the Virgin Islands. Through this program and other innovative efforts under the VIEO, we are leading the territory’s energy revolution, especially in the area of energy conservation, while leveraging support from the private sector to achieve our energy consumption reduction targets,” Gov. John P. de Jongh, Jr. said.

The V.I. Energy Alliance Program utilizes Energy Service Companies to undertake large-scale energy efficiency retrofit projects at existing public facilities. The approach has been used to retrofit eleven public schools in the Territory, with an anticipated annual savings of $1.1 million to the Department of Education. The cost of the efficiency improvements are paid through the energy savings over the life of the project, thereby requiring no increased cash outlay. The Energy Service Companies provide a performance guarantee on their work and assume initial responsibility for maintenance.

The award was presented at an awards banquet  in Tampa, Florida.

"Crisis often breeds innovation, and I am proud to be a part of this effort that has developed a sustainable model for increasing our energy efficiency that has been deemed worthy of national recognition,” VIEO Director Karl Knight stated. Knight also thanked the staff of the VIEO, Bostonia Partners, and other Government agencies involved in the initiative.