From Harford County Public Schools:
Baltimore Gas & Electric’s (BGE) Smart Energy Savers Program will present a check for more than $650,000 to Harford County Publics Schools (HCPS) during the Board Meeting on Monday, April 8, for the work the school district has undertaken to improve energy efficiency in its school facilities. The school system is on track to receive an additional $1 million from the program for extensive energy efficiency upgrades this year.
The HCPS school system has successfully used financial incentives from the BGE Smart Energy Savers Program to fund energy-efficient mechanical and electrical improvements in 42 of its 58 schools. The improvements include HVAC and lighting system upgrades, such as the installation of occupancy sensors, LED integral lamps, and high-efficiency ventilation equipment, to help the school district reduce energy use and improve the learning environment for students and teachers.
Jim in hickory says
Someone tell me again where does BGE get the money they give back to the government?
Well at least if we have a bad storm this year, the same government will let them charge us all more to repair their broken stuff.
Kharn says
BGE is giving the County rebates on their (astronomical) electric bill for reducing usage. Commercial/industrial users pay higher rates than residential users, to the point that it can be economically viable for an industrial user to install their own natural gas generators to back-feed the grid during peak times instead of pay for BGE’s electricity.
Without a third reactor at Calvert Cliffs, and the greens causing problems for any new coal or NG plants, our grid is under considerable strain every summer day (and a wind farm is not predictable enough to change the situation). If BGE can convince the County to reduce their electricity usage (either by shutting off or reducing draw), they can avoid brown/black-outs in other areas. The easy way to convince a group to do something? Money.
Jim in hickory says
Sounds good but school is out all summer long. Wanna try another explanation?
ProPrivacyAntiSmartMeter says
THIS IS O U T R A G E O U S !!! BGE received $200 million of OUR taxpayer dollars for their ‘smart meter’ program – and now they are GIVING IT AWAY !!! Where is MY check from BGE, for conserving energy ? There is simply no end to BGE’s corruption !!! Call the MD PSC and complain !!
Kharn says
You can call BGE and join SmartRewards as well. But since you use a lot less electricity than the County, your rebate will only be about $10/month.
Cdev says
Wait a second guys. BGE is a private company. Don’t we want more dregulated companies running public stuff? Don’t we want Fedex and UPS to be running the postal system?
Kharn says
Better than in Arizona, where schools have to contract for their electrical demands years in advance. At least one school substantially upgraded their air conditioners, thinking they would save a ton of money, only to find out they had to pay the utility company an under-usage fee for not using the entire contracted amount of electricity that year. The fee in the case I most remember was equal to the unused amount, so the school should have turned the AC down a few degrees and at least gotten some benefit from their money.
Cdev says
that sucks!!!
ProPrivacyAntiSmartMeter says
To Cdev: Per your comment that BGE is a private company. That is exactly correct – which demands an answer to the question: Does a private company have the right to FORCE you to buy or accept ANY service? THE ANSWER IS A SCREAMING NO – NO – NO !!!! Therefore, EVERY citizen in the state of Maryland should be MELTING the phones of the MD PSC and asking WHY they are allowing this trampling of our individual right to choose or refuse ANY product from any business. And then the utilities have the staggering arrogance to give part of our tax subsidy away to schools! If Apple or Microsoft came out with a new gadget and announced that you will be FORCED to buy it, I am certain the entire country would be up in arms. In the same light, everyone needs to melt the phones at the MD PSC and DEMAND that they correct this abuse of our rights, It is bad enough the MD PSC has continued to allow the utilities to keep on doing smart meter installs, while they have not reached a conclusion on opt-outs.