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Brief: WAPA Honored for Efforts to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

March 10, 2008 — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has recognized the V.I. Water and Power Authority "for its outstanding contributions to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by sponsoring significant consumer-education efforts promoting energy-efficient products and behaviors."
The authority is the first utility in a U.S. territory and first in the Caribbean to earn an Excellence in Energy Star Promotion Award, according to a WAPA news release. The EPA will give the award at a ceremony in Washington, D.C., April 1.
"We are extremely proud of this award," said WAPA Executive Director Hugo Hodge. "In spite of the many challenges we have faced with rising fuel costs and limited financial resources, it is gratifying that such an important federal agency as EPA recognizes our efforts on behalf of our customers."
WAPA won in part because of efforts to get Virgin Islanders to switch to compact-fluorescent light bulbs.
"I also want to thank the committed WAPA employees who have worked on our various outreach projects, including the distribution of over 60,000 energy-efficient light bulbs through our CFL Caravans, our public exhibits and visits to schools, churches, and other organizations touting the importance of energy conservation, and our work with the V.I. Energy Office to co-sponsor seminars on global warming," Hodge said.
The Excellence in Energy Star Promotion Award is given to a variety of organizations to recognize their efforts to improve energy efficiency and reduce pollution, resulting in significant cost savings, the release said. Award winners are selected from more than 9,000 organizations that participate in the Energy Star program.
"Partners like the Virgin Islands Water and Power Authority are leading the way by showing Americans how they can protect our environment through energy efficiency," said Robert J. Meyers, principal deputy assistant administrator for EPA's Office of Air & Radiation. "By promoting Energy Star, they are making it easier for consumers to find more energy-efficient products in the marketplace."
For more information about Energy Star, visit energystar.gov or call toll-free 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937).
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