Energy efficient lighting project will save $4 million

Secretary Richard K. Sullivan Jr.

Secretary, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs
Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs

View Secretary Sullivan's Bio

One of the things I’m focused on is reducing energy use at state facilities. By investing in energy efficiency, the Patrick-Murray Administration hopes to not only cut long-term energy costs and protect our environment, but also inspire municipal governments, businesses and residents to make the same types of investments.

This past November at the MBTA’s Alewife Garage and T stop in Cambridge, I joined state transportation officials in announcing an energy efficient lighting program that will save $4 million over the lifetime of the equipment installed in energy costs, reduce negative environmental impacts and make public parking garages safer and better lit. The Commonwealth expects to earn back its $1 million investment through energy cost savings in less than two and a half years.

The energy efficient lighting project will replace 87 percent of the total fixtures at the Alewife Garage, which is also home to several other energy saving components such as electric vehicle charging stations, bike cages for commuters, and extensive natural lighting.

Energy efficiency retrofits are planned at more than 35 state facilities across the Commonwealth, including other MBTA garages and parking lots, and are expected to generate an annual savings of 3.5 million kilowatt hours and 1,300 tons in greenhouse gas emissions. Other projects planned under this program will take place at MBTA sites in Newton, Needham, Charlestown, Hyde Park, and Norfolk, among others. Funds have also been allocated to projects at Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Highway Division and other state facilities. 

The project is part of a partnership among MassDOT, the Massachusetts Recovery and Reinvestment Office, the Department of Energy Resources (DOER), the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center (MassCEC) and the MBTA.

DOER, with the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, is allocating $1 million in funds from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 (ARRA) for the program, which will leverage $900,000 in additional efficiency rebates from NSTAR.

Local companies are also benefiting from this program. Products from Massachusetts companies such as Osram Sylvania of Danvers and Renova Lighting of Mansfield are being used in several projects. These projects are also creating jobs across the Commonwealth for local electricians and contractors. In fact, over 6,100 clean energy and environment sector workers in Massachusetts have received paychecks as a direct result of ARRA since the state’s Stimulus investments began in 2009.