Quaker Oats, Peterborough Distribution awarded for energy conservation
Peterborough Distribution Inc. (PDI) and Quaker Oats were recognized for their roles in energy conservation Wednesday.
The electrical utility and manufacturer were acknowledged as conservation champions at an event at Quaker Pepsico Foods Canada Ltd.
The Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) awarded PDI the LDC Target Champion Award for its conservation and demand management saving achievements for its 2011 to 2014 Save on Energy programs. PDI reached more than 80 per cent of its energy and demand savings targets during that time.
PDI was one of a dozen independent utility groups of the 75 in the province to be recognized.
Terry Young, IESO vice-president of conservation and corporate relations, said it’s important to recognize leaders in energy conservation.
“We’re all looking to better manage our energy costs and if you conserve, if you use more energy more efficiently than you’re doing a number of things... reducing electricity costs ... reducing system costs,” Young said.
The IESO runs the electricity market and directs the bulk of the electrical system in the province.
David Whitehouse, Peterborough Utilities Group director of customer and corporate service, said PDI is proud of the work it has done towards energy conservation.
“We’re very proud of our history and very proud of our conservation efforts that we’ve done, not even in the last framework where we’ve won this award but for previous work that we’ve done way back when when conservation wasn’t even cool,” Whitehouse said.
PDI’s overall energy reduction is equivalent to taking the village of Lakefield off the grid, Whitehouse added.
After receiving recognition for its efforts energy conservation, PDI then turned around and awarded Quaker Oats for its work in same area.
Quaker received $634,777 in financial incentives from PDI for its continued participation in PDI’s Save on Energy conservation programs, specifically for implementing energy efficiency upgrades and projects with the retrofit program.
Although PDI is going to be sold to Hydro One after city council voted for the sale in December, Whitehouse said that doesn’t mean the end of save on energy conservation programs for customers.
In addition to the programs PDI already offers, Hydro One will be able to offer more programs because its a larger utility with a wider scope and scale, he said.
“For the customers of Peterborough, Lakefield and Norwood, I think they’ll find that the conservation and the conservation spirit will continue on,” he said.