Tri-State program helps put 125,000 CFLs in consumers’ sockets

Tri-State recently hit a high mark in its compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) program, reaching 125,000 units distributed to end-use consumers.  The number includes the 44,000 CFLs that Tri-State initially distributed to its 44 member co-ops and an additional 65,000-plus that have been purchased by the co-ops.

Tri-State introduced the CFL program in January 2007 as an enhancement to its pre-existing energy efficiency efforts that help member cooperatives promote wise energy use to residential and business consumers.  Tri-State first purchased 1,000 CFLs for each member system.  Each co-op then determined how to distribute the energy-efficient bulbs to its member-consumers.

The G&T also offers a rebate of $1 per additional bulb should individual co-ops choose to buy them.  Some co-ops choose to pass the rebate directly onto customers, while others have donated the lights to local service organizations to use as fundraisers.

Tri-State’s CFL program is aimed at helping electric cooperative member-consumers lower their energy bills while emphasizing the benefits of energy efficiency.  The program is just one of several energy efficiency initiatives sponsored by Tri-State and offered through its member distribution systems.

According to the national Energy Star program, if every American homeowner replaced just one light bulb with a CFL, consumers would save enough electricity to light more than 2.5 million homes for a year and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of nearly 800,000 cars.

Quick Facts:

• The bulbs being distributed through Tri-State’s CFL program are 23-watt size, equivalent to a 100-watt incandescent bulb.
• Replacing 125,000 incandescent bulbs with CFLs would displace approximately 8,750 kilowatts of power.
• Basing usage on an average of four hours per day, the annual energy required by CFLs is nearly 10 million kilowatt-hours less when compared to incandescent bulbs. 

As of October 2007, nearly half of Tri-State’s 44 member-systems have purchased additional CFLs.  Leading the pack is Brighton, Colo.-based United Power, which has received more than $15,000 from the G&T in rebates since January 2007.  There is no set end date for the program, which means that those member-systems who have not yet taken advantage of the $1 rebates still can.

Tri-State’s TOP 10 CFL participants

1. United Power (Brighton, Colo.)
2. Mountain Parks Electric (Granby, Colo.)
3. Mountain View Electric (Limon, Colo.)
4. Panhandle Rural Electric (Alliance, Neb.)
5. San Isabel Electric (Pueblo West, Colo.)
6. Otero County Electric (Cloudcroft, N.M.)
7. Springer Electric (Springer, N.M.)
8. Sierra Electric (Elephant Butte, N.M.)
9. Kit Carson Electric (Taos, N.M.)
10. Wheatland Rural Electric (Wheatland, Wyo.)