Federal Recovery Funds Allow Erie's Shriners Hospital to Reduce Energy Costs, Invest Savings in Patient Care

ERIE, Pa., Feb. 18 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Marking the first anniversary of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, Environmental Protection Secretary John Hanger said that a Recovery Act-funded project will increase the energy efficiency of the Shriners Hospital's heating and lighting systems, saving the hospital more than $60,000 per year.

"It was a year ago this week that President Obama signed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to stimulate the creation of jobs and provide a boost to our struggling communities, businesses and economy," Secretary Hanger said during a tour of the facility. "Shriners Hospital saw an opportunity to use this funding to trim its operating costs by replacing obsolete equipment with more energy efficient systems.

"The money saved on utility bills can now be used to support the hospital's mission to treat young patients with serious orthopedic conditions."  

The hospital treats children with serious orthopedic issues at no cost. The Erie location is one of 22 Shriners Hospitals across the country offering specialized, intensive treatment to children.  

Shriners Hospital received a $250,000 PA Conservation Works grant to improve its lighting, air handling and boiler systems.  

PA Conservation Works grants were awarded to facilities that proposed energy saving projects resulting in a 25-percent or more reduction in energy use. The hospital's project will result in an energy saving of 36 percent. Once complete, the hospital estimates an annual savings of $62,000 in utility costs.

The project will cut the hospital's electrical energy use by 315,367 kilowatt hours per year, reduce the consumption of natural gas by 3,380 million cubic feet per year, and will prevent the use of 28,000 gallons of water annually by reducing the operation level of the hospital's humidifier.

The energy-saving work is being done by Gerster Trane of Buffalo and Niagara Electrical Contractors of Erie.

To date, more than $5.7 billion of Recovery Act funding has been infused into Pennsylvania's economy and more than 4,200 jobs have been created or saved in Pennsylvania as a result.

Erie County, alone, has received more than $67.9 million of federal Recovery dollars that is supporting infrastructure improvements to roads and water systems, aiding school districts, and providing tax relief to nearly 119,238 people, among other things.

For more information, visit www.Recovery.Pa.gov.

Media contact: Freda Tarbell, 814-332-6186

SOURCE Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection