PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact John Sheppard, Walters City Manager, 580/875-3337
Walters Public Schools Receive WISE Rebate Check Totaling $18,860
For Installing Air Source Heat Pumps
John Sheppard, Walters City Manager, and Palma Lough, Oklahoma Municipal Power Authority (OMPA) Member Services Energy Services Specialist, presented Jimmie Dedmon, Superintendent of Walters Public Schools, with a WISE Rebate check in the amount of $18,860 for the installation of air source heat pumps at the middle school and high school. Monty Powers, owner of Powers Heating & Air of Walters, who was the contractor involved in the installation of the air source heat pumps, also attended the presentation that was held on April 23rd in the Superintendent’s office, 418 South Broadway. The rebate check was made available because of the city’s participation in OMPA’s WISE Rebate Program.
The objective of OMPA’s energy services rebate program is to assist participating member cities in encouraging residential customers and subdivision homebuilders to purchase and install energy-efficient air conditioners and electric heat pumps. The rebate for Walters Public Schools was based on a rebate of $250 per ton for the installation of air source heat pumps totaling 75.44 tons.
The higher-efficiency units are beneficial for both the utility and the customer. The utility benefits from the reduction in summer peaks and overall improvement in load factor. Electric heat pumps also provide additional off-peak winter load. Customers heating with heat pumps could have heating bills lower in cost than other alternatives for most (or all) of the winter, with appropriate electric rate structures. During the summer, higher-efficiency air conditioners and heat pumps help reduce customers’ air-conditioning costs.
The minimum requirements for rebates in this program are set above the minimum standards required by the EPA’s Energy Star program, which are higher than the minimum equipment standards set by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Walters city staff worked with the school system to ensure that the proper equipment was installed and all criteria met so that the schools would be eligible for the rebates. For more information on WISE Rebates, contact John Sheppard, Walters City Manager, 580/875-3337, or Palma Lough, Energy Services Specialist, at 405/359-2514.
#
OMPA is a state governmental agency created by the legislature to serve cities and towns that own and operate their electric distribution systems and is governed by the members. The Authority presently serves 39 municipally owned electric systems in Oklahoma and is a non-appropriated state agency which is owned by the member cities it serves.
