On behalf of the City of Forest Grove, our City Council and our employees, I wanted to take a moment to express our deep gratitude... more
City Hall
City Provides Energy Conservation Financial Incentives to Local Businesses
As part of a more aggressive effort to support and retain local businesses, the Forest Grove City Council recently authorized an additional $364,000 for energy conservation. Other tools have included enterprise zones, SDC financing, and regulatory financing. However one of the most popular programs has been the Forest Grove Light and Power Commercial and Industry Energy Services Program. The program provides significant benefits to local companies in two steps. The company receives a cash rebate up to 75% of the cost of the improvement and also sees up to 25% savings in their energy bill attributed to the improvement. To be eligible the company must be able to achieve a 25% gain in energy efficiency. With current products and process improvements on the market today, that 25% energy efficiency threshold is often not difficult to achieve. “These programs are an important part of the City’s efforts to retain and support our existing industries” stated Mayor Peter Truax.
The conservation funds are flexible and can be used for existing operations, start-ups moving into older buildings and new construction. Over a period of 18 months, ten companies have either completed or will complete projects. The companies range from industrial manufacturing to commercial service. The projects will result in $286,435 in incentive payments to these companies and an additional annual energy bill saving of $74,000. Energy usage will be reduced by 1.9 million kilowatt hours annually, supporting Forest Grove’s green and sustainability goals. Examples of industrial projects include refrigeration improvements for New Seasons Foods and Ajinomoto Frozen Foods, lighting upgrades at Usher Industries and compressor improvements at Old Trapper. Commercial projects such as lighting upgrades were completed for Bistro Stecchino and Hot Spot Spa while 21st Street Laundromat installed energy efficient clothes washers. “ The City of Forest Grove was an important partner in a major refrigeration system upgrade for cold storage warehouses. The collaboration with the City was essential to the success of the project. The benefits included achievement of maximum energy efficiency as well as significant financial incentives,” said Mark Frandsen, owner of Grove Properties LLC. Eligible systems include lighting upgrades, 50HP variable drive motors, compressors, refrigeration, air receivers and certain energy efficient appliances.
Over a two-year period ending September 30, 2011, over $1 million is being targeted for energy conservation. Funding for the program along with oversight is provided by Bonneville Power Administration. The Energy Conservation Program is expected to be renewed for 2011-2012. The first step in the process is a free energy audit. To find out if your building or business is qualified, contact Richard Matzke at Light and Power (503) 992-3254 or Jeff King at Economic Development (503) 992-3293.