Greentech Lead America: City of Patterson has signed agreement with Chevron Energy Solutions to improve the city’s sustainability initiatives.
The program includes solar installations, energy efficiency programs and substantial energy cost reductions. The collaboration will result in the city generating its own green, renewable electricity, dramatically reducing citywide energy costs, saving taxpayers an estimated $6 million over the life of the project, and making neighborhoods safer by replacing streetlights with more efficient LED fixtures, the company said.
The city will install solar panels to generate clean, renewable power for the city’s sewage treatment plants, corporation yard, and senior and aquatic centers. The solar installation is expected to provide over 90 percent of the facilities’ energy requirements. Changing streetlights to more efficient LED fixtures is also expected to save over $200,000 per year in electricity expense.
In addition, the city and Chevron Energy Solutions have engaged WattzOn, a community-based energy-efficiency non-profit, to help residents and business owners identify free and low-cost ways to reduce their energy use through free energy audits.
The collaboration, to be called The Capacity Project, will also build workforce capacity in cleantech and energy by training and hiring Patterson high school students as energy auditors, being paid $14/hour. Energy savings from the program are expected to create more disposable income for households and businesses, stimulating the local economy.
“This partnership will help us deliver on our sustainability goals and, at the same time, our economic development goals,” said Mayor Luis Molina. “This project will help us both improve our environment and the attractiveness of our business climate. Both are critical goals for us.”
The City of Patterson selected Chevron Energy Solutions to develop, design and construct the project.
Also read: Chevron Energy Solutions completes solar installation at Santa Cruz County Office of Education