Kentucky Horse Park announces cost, energy savings projects
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Nov. 23, 2009) – Today, with the help of First Lady Jane Beshear and executive cabinet members, the Kentucky Horse Park (KHP) announced plans for several new permanent greening initiatives that will be ready by the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, being held at the park Sept. 25-Oct. 10, 2010.
The park has been approved for a combination of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) stimulus funds and low-interest loans, totaling nearly $5.7 million that will be repaid by the cost savings in energy and maintenance resulting from the projects.
“By taking these aggressive efficiency measures, the Kentucky Horse Park is demonstrating the value of energy conservation and how it has a positive impact on our environment now and in the future,” said Mrs. Beshear. “As a World Equestrian Games (WEG) board member and as a Kentuckian, I am confident that when our international guests arrive for the Games, they will be impressed with our world class facility in the Kentucky Horse Park.”
She added, “I am a firm believer in leading by example, and over the last couple of years, the Commonwealth of Kentucky has made great strides to make state-owned facilities more energy efficient and environmentally-friendly.”
The energy conversation measures range from renewable energy solutions to innovative and traditional Energy Conservation Measures (ECM) and cost savings. Once the cost of the design, installation and maintenance of the energy conversation measures are paid, all further savings will generate revenue for the park indefinitely.
“It is imperative that we protect and improve the integrity of our land, water and air, which have had fundamental roles in making Kentucky the Horse Capital of the World,” said John Nicholson, executive director of KHP. “I’m very proud that the Kentucky Horse Park will be a flagship in the movement toward better stewardship of these treasures, while operating the park more efficiently. In addition to being the right thing to do at this time, the progressive measures we’re taking now will benefit the people, animals and environment of our great commonwealth for many years to come.”
The park secured funding from two sources: an Energy Savings Performance Contract (ESPC) and an ARRA grant, administered by the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority’s Clean Water State Revolving Fund. The $1.95 million ARRA award will be structured as 50 percent low interest and 50 percent principal forgiveness loans.
An ESPC is an agreement between a state government facility and an Energy Services Company (ESCO) in which energy-efficiency improvement projects are financed through the savings these projects are guaranteed to produce. The ESCO for this project is Ameresco Inc., the largest independent energy services provider in North America. Ameresco has an office in Louisville.
Kentucky’s Energy and Environment receives the federal funding for the ESPC program, which is administered by the Finance and Administration Cabinet.
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