St. Charles Community College Earns an A+ as Laclede Gas Issues $26,000 in Rebates for Campus' Smaller Carbon Footprint

ST. LOUIS, Nov. 10, 2010 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- St. Charles Community College (SCC) is now among the Laclede Gas honor roll customers that have earned significant rebates from Laclede's Commercial/Industrial Rebate program.  Laclede Gas, the Original Green Energy provider, recently issued the college nearly $26,000 in rebates for taking a variety of steps to reduce the campus' carbon footprint.

Laclede presented the rebate check to cover the cost of energy audits and boiler replacements, along with occupancy sensors in 120 classrooms in SCC's buildings.  The overall environmental impact of SCC's energy-efficiency steps is equivalent to planting 172 acres of trees or removing more than 454,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions.

In addition to the nearly $26,000 in rebates received from Laclede Gas, St. Charles Community College's annual gas bills are expected to decrease by more than $44,000.

"We have placed a high priority on improving the energy efficiency of our campus facilities for the benefit of our students, our staff and our environment," said John McGuire, president of St. Charles Community College.  "And thanks to the rebates from Laclede Gas, we will see both near-term and long-term financial savings.  This truly is a sound investment that shrinks both our carbon footprint and our utility expenses."

"We have been very pleased to work with St. Charles Community College and help them make the most of their energy dollars and their natural gas usage," said Dave Simorka, manager of Commercial & Industrial Sales for Laclede Gas.  "Through our energy-efficiency programs, our customers can significantly conserve this valuable energy resource and reduce their environmental impact as much as possible."

Established in November 2008, Laclede's Commercial/Industrial rebate program provides rebates to commercial and industrial customers for the implementation of natural gas energy-efficiency improvements, including part of the cost of an energy audit used to identify improvement opportunities.  In addition to its Commercial/Industrial Rebate program, Laclede Gas offers a Residential Customer Rebate program that offers money back to customers who install high-efficiency furnaces or boilers, as well as programmable thermostats.

About St. Charles Community College

St. Charles Community College is a public, comprehensive two-year community college with associate degrees and certificate programs in the arts, business, sciences and career-technical fields.  SCC provides workforce training and community-based personal and professional development as well as cultural, recreational and entertainment opportunities.

About Laclede Gas

As The Original Green Energy provider, Laclede Gas Company has delivered safe and reliable service to the residents of the St. Louis metropolitan area for more than 150 years. It is the largest natural gas distribution company in Missouri, serving customers in St. Louis and surrounding counties in Eastern Missouri.  Laclede Gas offers several conservation and energy-efficiency programs to encourage its customers to use natural gas wisely. Visit www.OriginalGreenEnergy.com to review the portfolio of rebates and savings programs offered to residential, commercial, and industrial customers.

SOURCE The Laclede Group