Ventura County Reaps Rewards of Energy Efficiency

Reduces Both Costs and Carbon

Ventura County’s outstanding cost savings and sustainability efforts have earned them
the silver level in Southern California Edison’s (SCE) Energy Leader Partner Program. The Energy Leader Partnership Program awards local governments who are performing outstanding sustainability efforts with the support to identify and address energy efficiency opportunities in municipal facilities. The County of Ventura who is saving over 6 million kilowatt hours annually through energy efficiency projects has earned the distinction of Silver level in the program.

Board of Supervisors Chairman John Zaragoza says, “It is very important that the County of Ventura continues to be energy efficient and reduce our carbon footprint, energy use, and energy costs… I am very proud that we have taken this step toward greater energy efficiency and cost
effectiveness.”

Considering the County’s growth in services to the community, including the opening of the Santa Paula Hospital as well as other new facilities, the County was able to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions by 1,673 CO2e (carbon dioxide equivalent) from 2008 to 2010, which equates to taking 298 passenger vehicles off the road. These decreases are a direct result of energy efficiency projects, including the installation of solar arrays and building retrofits, as well as alternate technology for County fleet which has saved the county approximately $900,000.

In addition, the County of Ventura has also committed to participating in a demand response program, conducting energy audits, educating the community on additional energy efficiency measures, publicly reporting its greenhouse (GHG) emissions to The Climate Registry, and reducing
those emissions by 15% by 2020.

Gene Rodrigues, Director of Customer Energy Efficiency and Solar for Southern California Edison, said, “We congratulate the County of Ventura on their efforts to implement a thorough county-wide energy and sustainability policy that serves as a model of environmental leadership.”