Energy savings: Borough pays it forward

SUSSEX - A money saving deal the borough reached in March with FirstEnergy Solutions Corp. to provide electricity to its water treatment plant may have similar implications for area school districts. Since inking that deal with FirstEnergy, which is expected to save the borough $5,000 to $10,000 a year in energy costs, borough officials have recommended the Ohio-based power company to both local school districts. The one-year agreement between Sussex Borough and FirstEnergy replaces the power generation services that the town’s water treatment plant had previously received from Jersey Central Power & Light (JCP&L), said Borough Clerk Catherine Gleason. However, the borough will continue to pay JCP&L for the plant’s wiring costs, she said. Saving money and energy At a recent Sussex-Wantage Board of Education meeting, attended by Sussex Borough Councilman Edward Meyer, school officials said they planned to put the district’s electricity generation out for bid. Meyer estimated that the school district stands to save $25,000 in electricity costs per year. Sussex-Wantage Regional School District Board of Education President Thomas Card said in an e-mail that he believes the $25,000 in estimated electricity cost savings anticipated by the school district is accurate. For its part, High Point Regional High School is waiting for the results of an energy audit that was conducted by the New Jersey Clean Energy Program before determining steps it might take to lower its energy costs, said Business Administrator Linda Alvarez. Once the school district has received the results of the energy audit, which are expected by mid-September, “we’ll be looking at what all of our alternatives are,” said Alvarez.