Mayor Sly James, Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce President & CEO Jim Heeter, and KCP&L Vice President of Marketing & Public Affairs Chuck Caisley recently made a series of announcements related to energy efficiency, pledging their commitment to work together to achieve a series of energy efficiency goals for the city.
The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce launched the Kansas City Energy Initiative, which will provide resources to Chamber members to help them increase their energy efficiency as a way to save money, create local jobs, mitigate climate change and improve the resiliency of our community to the impacts of future extreme weather events. The Kansas City Energy Initiative will also support the City Energy Project in its efforts to create healthier and more prosperous American cities by improving the energy efficiency of buildings.
Kansas City was only one of 10 cities selected in the U.S. to participate in the City Energy Project and was the only city proposal that included a strong partnership with the regional Chamber of Commerce and the local investor-owned electrical utility, KCP&L.
“The cheapest form of energy is the energy you don’t use,” said Jim Heeter. “Thanks to our partnership with the City and other organizations, the Chamber will be able to provide the KC business community with the education and resources that will help them become energy efficient and positively affect their bottom line.”
Mayor Sly James then followed and challenged Kansas City building owners and managers to commit to benchmarking energy use with a free software tool available online and work to achieve ENERGY STAR® certification of their buildings.
Mayor James outlined annual targets culminating with the ultimate goal that by the end of 2016, Kansas City will be the top-rated city in the U.S. in terms of ENERGY STAR® certified buildings per capita.
“I’m proud of the collaborative spirit behind this event,” said Mayor James. “Once again Kansas City is demonstrating that we are a leader in coming together to take meaningful action to reduce emissions that fuel climate change and threaten our health, our community and our economy. The partners at today’s announcement show that we take our responsibility to increase energy efficiency seriously and I look forward to seeing how our community responds to my energy efficiency challenge.”
Finally, Mr. Caisley with KCP&L announced a new opportunity to promote the company’s energy efficiency programs through the Kansas City Energy Initiative.
“Working with the Chamber and the City is a great opportunity not just for us, but also for our customers,” said Caisley. “We can create a one stop shop to educate companies on our programs, teach them how to benchmark and manage their electric usage, leverage our rebates to lower the capital cost of their energy efficiency investments, and grow the economy by using local contractors for installation of projects.”
The Economic Development Corporation of KCMO (EDCKC) is also a partner working with energy efficiencies through its ongoing business outreach activities. The EDC through its AdvanceKC process is the single point of entry for the city’s efforts to continue a positive impact on Kansas City’s economy. A specific area the EDC is utilizing is through its Business Development Officers. These BDOs call on business clients and ascertain what needs or questions a business may have as it relates to doing business in Kansas City. Many times these conversations result in the need for energy audits, efficiency plans or possible rebates for energy investments. Through partners such as KCP&L, these activities assist a business in determining its carbon footprint and the steps necessary to maintain maximum energy benefits with the least amount of cost. In other words what’s good for the environment is good for business. The EDC is proud to be part of this worthwhile and smart – business project.
Beginning in July, KCP&L customers living in Missouri can participate in a variety of energy efficiency programs. These programs, offered for both residential and business customers, include rebates and products and services that help customers take better control and reduce their energy usage. KCP&L programs will offer businesses greater incentive to make changes and accept the Mayor’s challenge.
Sources:
News from the Office of the Mayor
Kansas City Star
City of Kansas City, Missouri
Photo Credit: Keith Myers/ Kansas City Star