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The City of El Paso is entering into a collaboration that will save the city $1.7 million each year in energy. They frame it as the a step toward a green collar economy as well as a way to address climate change.
[This is an EXCERPT: read the whole article here. -Ed.]
by Diana Washington Valdez
EL PASO -- The city of El Paso has a head start on the green revolution President-elect Barack Obama envisions will save energy and create new clean jobs, Mayor John Cook says.
On Monday, Cook and other dignitaries stood next to the Armijo Aquatic Center in South El Paso to announce a $15 million collaboration between Johnson Controls and El Paso Electric Co. intended to reduce the city's energy use and save taxpayers $1.7 million each year.
Cook said the project will help reduce the city's energy consumption by 18 million kilowatt hours per year, plus "create 110 new jobs and eliminate 11,300 tons of air pollutants (annually), which is equivalent to removing 1,950 cars from the road each year."
Roger Dickinson, co-chairman of Climate Communities and Sacramento County, Calif., supervisor, said "Climate Communities and ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability) USA are organizing city and county leaders from across America to make sure federal decision makers understand the essential role of local governments in reducing energy use and addressing climate change."
Photo credit: Oregon DOT 
