Pennsylvania Convention Center to save $550,000 on power

The Pennsylvania Convention Center will save up to $550,000 through 2018 under a new electricity supplier agreement with Constellation Inc. to power the 2-million-square foot facility and to use 25 percent renewable energy.

The Center's Board of Directors has undertaken a philosophy of improvements to the facility that target energy efficiency, operational efficiency and a reduction in the building's carbon footprint.

"This was a very good time to lock-in a future rate that assures consistency in our utility budget," said Gregory J. Fox, chairman of the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority. "We have been using less energy in recent years as we find new ways to improve our energy efficiency across the Convention Center. These savings will contribute to our overall efficiency efforts."
 
The fixed rate will allow the Center's operating costs to be held constant, despite fluctuations in weather patterns and other variables.
 
"If we hit a polar vortex in the next two years, we are protected with budget certainty," said John J. McNichol, the Center's president and CEO. "It is an excellent time to buy in this market."