City of Waterford Unveils Solar and Energy Efficiency Projects That Will Save Taxpayers $2.3 Million

WATERFORD, Calif., Oct. 2, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The City of Waterford unveiled its comprehensive solar power and energy efficiency program today during a community celebration at Waterford City Hall. 

The event attracted a crowd of community members, including elected officials and business and education leaders, all coming together to commemorate the bold steps that have been taken to reduce the City's energy usage and generate the $2.3 million in savings taxpayers can expect to realize over the 25-year lifespan of the program.

"With this single, comprehensive program, we have moved the City of Waterford forward in a number of ways and accomplished many long held goals that will benefit our taxpayers and our local economy," said Waterford's Mayor Charlie Goeken. "Not only have we established to the broader business community that Waterford is a city that supports economic development through innovation and creative public-private partnerships, but we have also demonstrated our commitment to our local taxpayers that we are working hard to protect their hard earned dollars."

During today's unveiling ceremony, City leaders highlighted the various program elements, which include solar installations at the City's civic and community centers and the modernization of the City's wastewater treatment facility to reduce energy usage. In addition, the program includes the retrofitting of the City's 381 streetlights to energy-efficient LED lighting technology that will not only lessen the City's utility costs, but will also beautify Waterford's downtown business district by providing higher quality lighting for enhanced safety and visibility.

Representatives from OpTerra Energy Services (OpTerra), which designed, managed and delivered the comprehensive energy program, took part in today's celebration, presenting Waterford's Mayor and City Council with a plaque to commemorate the bold steps they have taken towards reducing citywide energy costs in order to save taxpayers' dollars.

"As a leader in solar and energy efficiency projects for municipalities and local governments across the United States, we are proud to have partnered with the City of Waterford on this important endeavor," said OpTerra CEO John Mahoney. "We congratulate the City for its leadership in developing an energy sustainability model for other Central Valley cities interested in creative solutions to lowering energy consumption while saving their local taxpayers million of dollars in the process. This program is really an example of how partnership and innovation can deliver a brighter future to all Californians."

As part of its public-private partnership, OpTerra also participated in the City of Waterford's Heritage Fair, creating an educational game space to demonstrate the fundamental technologies behind solar photovoltaic and LED lighting and encourage local youth to lead the next generation of energy innovation. 

"OpTerra's experience and creativity, partnered with our desire to create positive, visual, economic and environmental impacts that benefit all members of our community, from our youth and their families to our business owners that help drive our local economy," said Waterford City Manager Tim Ogden. "With their help, the City of Waterford and its hard working staff have been able to create lasting change and financial savings that will benefit our community for generations to come."

About City of Waterford: Incorporated in 1969, the City of Waterford lies 11 miles northeast of Turlock in Stanislaus County. The City adopted the motto "Gateway to Recreation" to highlight its location along Highway 132, known as Yosemite Boulevard, which connects the Modesto metropolitan area with Yosemite National Park, Waterford has experienced growth over the last decade, with nearly 8,500 residents as of the 2010 census, and the City has shown its leadership in smartly managing its growth while continuing to develop a safe, family-oriented community with neighborhood serving parks and amenities.  For more information about the City of Waterford, visit www.cityofwaterford.org.

About OpTerra Energy Services: OpTerra is one of the nation's largest independent and privately held energy efficiency and renewable energy companies that, for more than the past 40 years, has partnered with numerous public and private sector customers to improve the performance, reliability and energy efficiency of their facilities. Through its innovative approaches to the engineering, project management and financing of energy projects, OpTerra has achieved close to $2 billion in savings to date for its customers while helping them to become better stewards of the environment and its natural resources. OpTerra also uses energy as a foundation for advancing community engagement, economic opportunity and education for the many communities throughout the country in which it conducts its work. For more information about OpTerra, visit www.opterraenergy.com.

Contact: Rolando Bonilla, (415) 987-8025, [email protected].

SOURCE OpTerra Energy Services