GEFA news quarterly, 2010 July

GEFA NEWS QUARTERLY JULY 2014 VOLUME XV

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Conservation Program Wins

1

National Award

The 2014 Georgia Energy Report

2

State Agencies Allocated Funds

2

for Conservation Projects

GEFA Programs Support

3

Conservation Initiatives

GEFA Presents at The Georgia

3

Environmental Conference

GEFA Around Georgia

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WATER AND ENERGY CONSERVATION PROGRAM WINS NATIONAL AWARD

The Georgia Water Stewardship Act of 2010, established as a conservation initiative, requires

public water systems serving 3,300

to 10,000 people to conduct annual

water loss audits. Once completed,

the systems must submit results to

the Georgia Environmental Protection

Division (EPD) by March 1 of the

following year.

Jason Bodwell, GEFA senior program manager and Steve Cavanaugh, president, Cavanaugh

GEFA developed the Water Loss Technical

& Associates, P.A.

Assistance Program to support the requirement, and selected Cavanaugh &

Associates, P.A. and CH2M HILL to train water system staff on how to perform the

water audits. GEFA used $500,000 to fund the training program, and later invited the

participating systems to apply for technical assistance through the federal Drinking

Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF).

An additional $494,000 helped 51 utilities with projects such as finished water meter flow verification, customer meter testing and pilot leak detection.

The pilot leak detection project alone uncovered a total water loss of an estimated 513 gallons per minute (or approximately 270 million gallons a year, the equivalent of 409 Olympic-sized swimming pools). The 23 communities that completed leak detection projects also identified a potential $2,975 a month in energy savings.

GEFA facilitates programs and initiatives that support Georgia's culture of conservation. As a result of the work through the Water Loss Technical Assistance Program, in April 2014, GEFA received a National Recognition Award from the American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) in the Statewide Water Efficiency Training Program category.

Georgia is committed to conserving the state's energy, land and water resources, ensuring future economic growth and the well-being of the state's residents and wildlife, and the programs and initiatives GEFA develops supports these goals.

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GEFA NEWS QUARTERLY JULY 2014 VOLUME XV

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ENERGY REPORT PROFILES GEORGIA'S GENERATION AND CONSUMPTION
GEFA's Energy Resources Division recently released the 2014 Georgia Energy Report, which includes a detailed profile of energy generation and consumption, and information on initiatives and programs designed to help secure the state's energy future.
In 2006, GEFA was directed to develop an energy strategy for the state that balances economic growth and environmental concerns. GEFA is responsible for monitoring the strategy's progress and updating the plan as necessary. The first update to the State Energy Strategy was published in February 2009. Through its Energy Resources Division, GEFA promotes energy efficiency, renewable energy, and advanced traditional energy technologies to meet Georgia's energy demand. It's estimated that by 2020, Georgia's population will increase to nearly 12.2 million people. A comprehensive approach that includes energy supply and conservation is necessary to meet future demand.
View the 2014 Georgia Energy Report here.

STATE AGENCIES RECEIVE $87.4 MILLION FOR ENERGY AND WATER CONSERVATION

$87,395,000 in third-party financing has been authorized and allocated for six state agencies to complete energy and water conservation projects through GEFA's FY2015 Guaranteed Energy Savings Performance Contracting Program. Energy performance contracting allows the state to finance building improvements designed to lower energy use and water consumption. The financing was approved by the Georgia State Financing and Investment Commission (GSFIC) on June 18, 2014.
The agencies below will be able to enter multiyear contracts to evaluate, identify and implement energy conservation measures with guaranteed savings that pay for the contracted costs:
The Department of Corrections will be able to contract up to $28.6 million for multiple prisons.
The Georgia World Congress Center Authority will be able to contract up to $28.1 million for campus wide improvements.
The Georgia Department of Transportation will be able to contract up to $12.3 million for several department buildings.
The University System of Georgia will be able to contract up to $10.2 million for improvements at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the University of Georgia.
The Department of Juvenile Justice will be able to contract up to $3.1 million for several campuses across Georgia.

The North Georgia Mountains Authority will be able to contract up to $5.1 million for various lodges and resorts.

All of the projects

will perform annual

energy and water savings The Georgia World Congress Center,

measurement and verification.

Atlanta, Georgia.

Through energy performance contracting, state agencies can use funds normally spent on utility bills to finance building improvements designed to lower energy and water consumption. The state goes through an open, competitive process to choose an energy services company to implement conservation measures at state facilities. The energy services company selected must guarantee that the state will save a certain amount of energy and water with the installation of energy- and water-efficient equipment and systems. The state uses the guaranteed savings to pay for the work over a period of years.

Energy performance contracting also helps the state meet its commitment to the Georgia Energy Challenge and reduce energy consumption by 15 percent in state facilities, as well as save taxpayer dollars in energy bills. For more information, visit www.gefa.org.

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GEFA NEWS QUARTERLY JULY 2014 VOLUME XV

GEFA LOAN PROGRAMS SUPPORT CONSERVATION INITIATIVES

GEFA provided several loans this quarter that helped local communities conserve their resources and protect their water supply and quality. GEFA also awarded funding to the first renewable energy project to receive a 1 percent interest rate reduction as part of our conservation financing initiative.
The Lamar County Regional Solid Waste Management Authority was given the first funding award at a reduced interest rate. The $27,500,000 Georgia Fund loan will finance constructing and installing an innovative technology designed to reduce solid waste in landfills and generate power. The project will extract gas from solid waste material to create fuel for power, heating and transportation.
GEFA provides loan financing at a reduced interest rate to local governments and authorities for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects at water and wastewater treatment plants, landfills, and municipal solid waste facilities, in addition to infrastructure improvements. Eligible projects include, but aren't limited to, landfill gas reclamation; solar photovoltaic and thin film solar geo-membrane covers; wind and biomass; variable frequency drives and energy efficiency measures; energy management systems and controls; biogas heat and

power recovery systems; and infiltration and inflow projects that reduce pumping costs.
The city of Griffin was awarded an $11,100,000 Georgia Fund loan that will finance upgrading and expanding the city's Potato Creek Water Pollution Control Plant from 2 million gallons per day (MGD) to 3 MGD. The project will also replace the intake pumps at the Flint River Pump Station with efficient pumps and a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) system.
The city of Dudley was awarded a $2,000,000 Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan that will finance constructing a lined equalization basin with energy-efficient aerators and an associated pump station, installing wastewater treatment devices in the existing lagoon and a chlorination/decholorination facility, and performing inflow and infiltration repairs throughout the city's sewage collection system.
The city of Sylvester was awarded a $2,245,667 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund water conservation loan that will finance replacing leaking and smaller diameter water mains, and existing water meters with new automated meter infrastructure (AMI) meters throughout the city. In the last seven years, GEFA has financed more than $79 million in water-efficiency and conservation projects.

GEFA PRESENTS WATER SUPPLY SOLUTIONS AT THE GEORGIA ENVIRONMENTAL CONFERENCE
The annual Georgia Environmental Conference is the state's largest environmental conference. The threeday event hosts environmental professionals and industry leaders from throughout the Southeast. This year's conference will be held at the LEED-certified Jekyll Island Convention Center, August 20 through August 22, 2014, on Jekyll Island, Georgia. Registration for the conference is now open at www.georgiaenet.com.
GEFA will present on water supply solutions through the Governor's Water Supply Program on Thursday, August 21, from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. The discussion will focus on the program's progress and updates on projects such as the aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) project in Southwest Georgia, the testing of deep aquifer production for the abatement of saltwater intrusion along the Georgia coast, and direct investments in several reservoir projects in North Georgia.
GEFA will also present on financing energy, land and water conservation projects on Wednesday, August 20, from 2:45 p.m. to 4:15 p.m. The panel discussion will provide information on various sources of funding for projects that protect the environment and cultivate Georgia's culture of conservation.
For more information on the Governor's Water Supply Program and GEFA's conservation financing program, visit www.gefa.org.

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GEFA NEWS QUARTERLY JULY 2014 VOLUME XV
GEFA AROUND GEORGIA GEFA will be at several conferences throughout the state through the end of 2014. Stop by and visit if you'll be at one of the events listed below. The Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP) 2014 Annual Conference and Expo - Savannah, Georgia, July 20 - 23, 2014 Ninth Annual Georgia Environmental Conference - Jekyll Island, Georgia, August 20 - 22, 2014 The 2014 Georgia Government Finance Officers Association (GGFOA) Annual Conference - Savannah, Georgia, September 28 -
October 1, 2014 The Georgia Rural Water Association (GRWA) Fall Conference - Lake Lanier Islands, Georgia, October 26, 2014 - October 28, 2014 The Georgia Association of Regional Commissions (GARC) Annual Conference Training Conference - St. Simons Island,
Georgia, November 5 - 7, 2014 The Georgia Association of Water Professionals (GAWP) Fall Conference - Dalton, Georgia, November 4 - 5, 2014
233 Peachtree Street NE Harris Tower, Suite 900 Atlanta, Georgia 30303
404-584-1000 (Main) 404-584-1069 (Fax)
www.gefa.org
If you wish to add or remove yourself from this newsletter distribution, please email publicaffairs@gefa.ga.gov
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