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Woodlake, Lindsay light the way to a 'greener' Christmas

12.09.2009

The Foothills Sun-Gazette
By Reggie Ellis

 

Lindsay and Woodlake are among several cities in the San Joaquin Valley offering to exchange your Christmas lights for new, more energy efficient LED light strands.

While supplies last, Woodlake Public Works and Lindsay City Services are offering to exchange your incandescent Christmas lights for light emitting diode, or LED, strands.

According to www.energystar.gov, LEDs consume 75-90% less energy than incandescent light strands and produce the same amount of light. For example, the amount of electricity consumed by just one 7-watt incandescent bulb could power 140 LEDs ó enough to light two 24-foot (7.3-meter) strings. LEDs also last 10 times longer, reduce the risk of fire, are more rable and versatile, providing a wider range of colors than traditional incandescent lights.

The exchange is being funded by California public utility consumers through the San Joaquin Valley Clean Energy Organization in partnership with Southern California Edison under the auspices of the California Public Utility Commission. The Valley partnership is an offshoot of the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley, which was formed by Gov. Schwarzenegger in June 2005 to improve quality of life in the eight-county region, including San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Madera, Fresno, Kings, Tulare and Kern counties.

Courtney Kalashian, a staff member of the project, said in the first two days of the exchange, the City of Visalia replaced 100 light strands. As of press time, Lindsay had already exchanged 25 strands. By the end of the month, the program is expected to replace 1,000 incandescent strands.

Kalashian said the program will continue through 2012.

'This is the first incentive program and exchange project we have done,' Kalashian said. 'The partnership has really only been operational since May 2009.'

The 100-light LED strands are 33-feet long and can be exchanged at Woodlake City Hall, 350 N. Valencia Blvd., or Lindsay City Hall, 251 E. Honolulu St., during normal business hours. There is a limit of one exchange per household and only working light strands will be exchanged for LEDs. Exchanges are only good if you can prove residency within the city limits. For more information call Cruz Dominguez in Woodlake at 564-2317 or Valerie Williams in Lindsay at 562-5945.

The San Joaquin Valley Clean Energy Partnership will be viable if at least 15 jurisdictions participate. Only cities and counties within Southern California Edison service areas are allowed to participate in the partnership. Currently the Clean Energy Partnership is comprised of the cities of Hanford, Visalia, Tulare, Porterville, Lindsay and Woodlake, and the Kings and Tulare counties. To join the Partnership, cities must adopt a resolution.

For more information or to schedule a representative, please contact Cynthia Downing, cdowning@pesc.com or go online to www.sjvcleanenergy.org.
 

© 2007 California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley