Energy Efficiency
Sewage Savings in Jackson Hole
A Wyoming electric cooperative worked with leaders of a well-known resort community to help improve efficiency at a wastewater treatment plant.
The Jackson, Wyo., wastewater treatment plant has undergone $1.3 million in improvements. (Photo By: Franz Camerzind/EcoFlight)
A series of energy-efficiency upgrades to the facility is expected to save the city of Jackson $64,000 annually in electricity costs. The co-op’s consumer-members will also save money.
“The town sewer plant is the largest energy consumer in Teton County,” said Jackson Mayor Mark Barron. The mayor recently accepted a rebate check for $457,711 on behalf of the city from Lower Valley Energy.
“To earn a nearly half million dollar rebate from LVE is exceptional,” said Barron.
The co-op’s energy auditors worked with the city’s public works staff for a year to develop a list of equipment and facilities upgrades designed to reduce the plant’s energy consumption by 1.8 million kilowatt-hours a year.
“Bonneville Power Administration is our power supplier, so we had their energy auditors come in to help us with the assessment,” said Brian Tanabe, the co-op’s communications and marketing manager.
The Afton-based co-op recommended $1.3 million in improvements to the plant, designed to reduce its energy consumption by 29 percent, said Tanabe. “The city made some major modifications to the plant, primarily to the aeration system used to treat wastewater.”
The rebate and grants obtained from the state and Bonneville Power Administration, coupled with $400,000 in savings derived from in-house engineering and management services, covered the costs of the project.
Besides serving Jackson’s nearly 9,000 permanent residents, the plant quietly meets the needs of millions of tourists who visit Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks and the three major ski resorts in the Jackson Hole area.
“Large savings from a big consumer such as the town of Jackson mean that all Lower Valley Energy members save on their utility bills,” said Jim Webb, president and CEO of the co-op, adding that more savings and rebates are likely. “The town has been a great partner in energy reduction over the past few years and we look forward to further work with them.”