Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO), a subsidiary of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), has awarded the Broken Arrow School District an incentive check for $22,110 for equipping the district’s newly constructed Performing Arts Center and Fourth and Fifth Grade Center with energy efficient lighting and air conditioning systems. The incentive is part of PSO’s Model Cities program, which is offered to help school districts and city governments reduce operating costs by identifying and implementing energy efficiency improvement projects.
           
Both centers were outfitted with energy efficient air conditioning units, while the Fourth and Fifth Grade Center also includes a high efficiency lighting system. The incentive the district earned was determined by the total amount of energy it expects to save compared to standard-efficiency equipment. The lighting and air conditioning systems installed will conserve more than 215,000 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, equivalent to the carbon dioxide emissions of about 17,500 gallons of gasoline, according to Environmental Protection Agency calculations.
 
“The Model Cities Program helped us identify ways we can conserve energy and save money,” said Broken Arrow School District Chief Communications Officer, Keith Isbell. “That money can be reinvested directly into our classrooms, and by conserving energy we are setting a positive example for our students.”
 
“We identified a real need for an energy efficiency program that specifically targets cities and schools, especially as budgets are spread thin,” said Erick Baker, customer service representative for PSO. “By partnering with Broken Arrow Schools to reduce energy costs, their valuable resources can be used for other needed projects.”
 
PSO, a unit of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), is an electric utility company serving approximately 527,000 customers in eastern and southwestern Oklahoma.  Based in Tulsa, PSO has 4,405 megawatts of generating capacity, and is the largest provider of wind energy in the state.  News releases and other information about PSO can be found on the World Wide Web at PSOklahoma.com.