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FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Janice Cain, Marlow City Administrator, 658-5401
City of Marlow Receives Rebate Checks Totaling $54,180 for Installing Geothermal Heat Pump Systems
During the Marlow City Council meeting on September 25th, Palma Lough, Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority (OMPA) Energy Services Specialist, presented Marlow Mayor Bob Hill with rebate checks in the amounts of $38,700 and $14,480 for the installation of geothermal heat pump systems in the city’s new City Hall, 119 South Second Street, on behalf of the OMPA Board of Directors. The rebate checks were made available because of the city’s participation in both OMPA’s Oklahoma Comfort Program (OCP) and OMPA’s WISE Rebate Program.
OMPA’s OCP used funds from the Stimulus State Energy Program (SSEP), as administered by the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, to provide residential energy audits and rebates for Geothermal Heat Pump (GHP) systems. This program officially ended on September 14, 2012, but the City of Marlow received approval for the installation of GHP systems and they were installed prior to the conclusion of the program. OMPA administered the project, with assistance from the Geothermal Resources Council. ClimateMaster Inc., a large Oklahoma-based manufacturer of GHP equipment, provided in-kind contribution to the project in the form of staff time, training for the public and professionals involved in the installation of GHPs, program promotion and other benefits.
However, the Authority still offers rebates for GHP installations through its WISE Rebate program in participating cities like Marlow. Residential and commercial customers who install GHP systems also benefit from lower heating and cooling costs. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, GHP systems can save customers 30 to 50 percent off the costs of heating and cooling compared with older systems.
In addition, GHP systems help OMPA member cities lower their electricity peaks in the summer and add winter load (when electric energy is at its cheapest). Both of these improve the load factors of the member cities and lower the cities’ bills from OMPA, as well as lowering the Authority’s operational costs, which mitigate future rate increases.
Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority (OMPA) is a joint-action agency created for the purpose of providing an adequate, reliable and affordable supply of electrical power and energy to Oklahoma’s municipally owned electric systems. The Authority presently serves 39 municipally owned electric systems in Oklahoma. As a consumer-owned public power entity, OMPA is owned by the member cities it serves.
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