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For Immediate Release
July 28, 2010
Contact: Joe Yahner, 805-652-4558
Lysa Urban, 805-677-3914

Free Lighting Retrofits Available for Ventura Non-Profit Organizations, Applications due by August 20

Free energy-efficient lighting retrofits for a limited number of Ventura non-profit organizations will be available later this year. Funded through a portion of the $1 million in federal stimulus funds awarded to the City of Ventura for energy saving projects, this program will provide no-cost lighting retrofits and energy conservation education to reduce electricity costs for qualified organizations. Registered 501(c)(3) non-profit groups, whose monthly electric bill exceeds $200, are encouraged to submit applications to the City of Ventura by August 20.

Lower electric bills will assist community organizations, such as preschools, youth facilities, and churches, to direct more funds to their core missions. Administered by the Ventura County Regional Energy Alliance, participating organizations will also learn about the financial and environmental benefits of conserving energy.

"Ventura based non-profits provide valuable resources to the city and surrounding communities," said Mayor Bill Fulton. "Helping them cut their operating costs means they will have more money to spend on programs that directly benefit the community."

In order to qualify for the program, organizations must currently be registered as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization based in the City of Ventura and pay their own electric bill averaging more than $200 monthly. Although not a mandatory requirement, preference will be given to organizations that operate at least three days per week, because longer operating hours may result in increased energy savings.

Non-profit groups interested in applying for the program should download an application from the City's website at www.cityofventura.net/greenventura or call the City's Environmental Services Office at 652-4525. The deadline for submitting an application is Friday, August 20.

Funding for this program is provided by the Department of Energy through the Energy Efficiency Community Block Grant Program. In addition to the non-profit lighting program, the $1 million in federal stimulus funds awarded to the City of Ventura will be used to retrofit City-owned streetlights to LEDs, develop "green" workforce training programs, conduct a city-wide greenhouse gas reduction study and to partially fund a solar electric system at City Hall.

For more information, please contact Joe Yahner at 805-652-4558.

This press release is available on the City of Ventura's website at www.cityofventura.net. ###