Rural Energy Initiative earns National Director Award from Indian Health Service
February 3, 2017
ANTHC’s Rural Energy Initiative was recently awarded a National Director’s award from the Indian Health Service for its energy efficiency project work to improve the sustainability and reduce operating costs of rural sanitation systems and health care facilities across Alaska. The program was recognized for its accomplishments in identifying and implementing energy efficiency and renewable solutions through partnerships with rural communities, funding agencies and utility companies.
The Rural Energy Initiative brings substantial benefit to the IHS portfolio of public health services, through innovative and effective energy improvements that produce real savings for Alaska’s rural communities. These benefits are critical to the long-term sustainability and affordability of basic water and sewer service for homeowners, especially in economically challenged rural communities.
Since its inception in 2011, the Rural Energy Initiative has conducted energy efficiency retrofits for 49 community sanitation systems across rural Alaska, a number that grows by 15 each year. These projects implement appropriate new technologies, such as LED lighting, high-efficiency pumps, and new heating system controls, as well as provide maintenance and operations training, thereby extending the lifespan of aging sanitation infrastructure in rural Alaska.
The Rural Energy Initiative also provides site-specific operator training, enabling operators to run their sanitation facilities more efficiently and maintain energy savings for communities for years to come. To date, these projects have been projected to produce a total of $1.1 million in annual energy savings for rural sanitation systems. More information can be found at https://www.anthc.org/what-we-do/rural-energy/.
Congratulations to the Rural Energy Initiative on its well-deserved recognition!