SUSTAINABLE ATLANTA PARTNERS LAUNCH INITIATIVE TO GENERATE ENERGY AND WATER COST SAVINGS IN TARGET COMMUNITIES
Sustainable Atlanta, Let’s Raise a Million and the Atlanta Workforce Development Agency team to realize savings of $20,050,000 in costs associated with energy and water consumption in Atlanta


ATLANTA – (June 30, 2009) Sustainable Atlanta and partners today announced the launch of the Atlanta Mentorship Program for Sustainability (AMPS)-- Atlanta’s first green-collar jobs initiative that combines training, mentorship and education to generate energy and water cost savings in low-income communities.

Let’s Raise a Million (LRAM) and the Atlanta Workforce Development Agency (AWDA) joined with Sustainable Atlanta to create AMPS using the LRAM model for engaging college students to go door-to-door in communities of modest means to exchange carbon fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) for incandescent bulbs.

Lynnette Young, executive director of Sustainable Atlanta stated, “We have a capital opportunity to reduce consumption and our carbon footprint, and a significant responsibility to align with the federal administration’s focus on creating green jobs. It is an honor to partner with Let’s Raise a Million and the Atlanta Workforce Development Authority to create employment, save money and protect our environment.”

Projected to generate total energy cost savings of over $20 million during the six-week program, AMPS will employ 31 high school and college students to deliver information about protecting the environment and to install energy-saving CFLs and low-flow water devices in the homes of low-income residents in communities in the city of Atlanta in Cobb, DeKalb, and Fulton Counties.

Young added, “We are meeting a growing need for energy cost management and efficiency for residents of Atlanta. A 2008 study by the American Gas Association determined that nearly 25% of a household’s annual income is needed to pay home energy bills-- an increase of 10% percent since 1998. The number of households behind on their utility bills increased 9.5 percent last year and it is likely that current economic conditions will escalate this problem for low-income families who are already challenged to meet the needs of their households. Along with our partners, we’re responding to the problem in a way that educates the community, saves money for residents and the City, and advances Atlanta’s sustainability.”

Local college students serve as AMPS mentors who educate AWDA high school students about energy efficiency, water conservation and environmental sustainability; train them to retrofit homes with energy- and money-saving devices; and equip them with skills in community outreach and building community capacity.

In groups of four people, AMPS teams canvass communities to install the money-saving, energy and water consumption management devices and inform households about more ways to save money and the environment.

In addition to saving energy and money, the AMPS initiative will help to lower the City’s carbon footprint. Because CFLs use 75% less energy and have an 8-10 times greater lifespan than incandescent bulbs, using one CFL is the equivalent of diverting 350 pounds of coal from the process of generating energy. With the installation of more efficient water fixtures, households can reduce water consumption by nearly 35% from 69 gallons to 45 gallons per day, which also reduces the amount of energy required to treat and then pump water into homes.

By reducing the need to generate energy by burning coal—one of the largest sources of particulate matter according the EPA’s most recent national summary of particulate matter emissions by source sector Report — the AMPS initiative will also decrease the prevalence rates of asthma and other chronic respiratory disorders, both of which rank significantly higher in Atlanta than the national average.

To ensure that AMPS objectives are achieved, key program elements will be benchmarked and measured. Participating households will receive an energy audit at the time of the install to help advance understanding of the consumption patterns of Atlanta residents. Additionally, energy and water cost savings for each participating household will be checked 90-days after the installation. Additionally, knowledge of AWDA students on environmental sustainability and community outreach and the capacity of mentors to deliver AMPS curriculum to program participants will be tracked. This combination of data will help to assure that both program participants and households are receiving the full benefits of the initiative and to determine the level of social impact of the program as well as the monetary value of managed consumption.

Residents are encouraged to contact AMPS at 404-964-1017 to determine eligibility for the program and to sign up to volunteer opportunities. For more information, visit SustainableAtlanta.org.

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About Sustainable Atlanta

Sustainable Atlanta serves as an agent for developing the blueprint for ensuring Atlanta’s world-class environmental sustainability. The organization’s strategic value lies in connecting via public/private partnerships including business, organizations, institutions and residents to develop solutions and implement action plans to address the challenges and opportunities inherent in the relationship between environment, equity and the economy. From the development of strategies to help achieve sustainable building and abundant water to zero waste, Sustainable Atlanta focuses on increasing commitment, capacity and velocity to advance Atlanta’s sustainability.

About Let’s Raise a Million

Let’s Raise a Million (LRAM) is a student-led, nonprofit charitable and environmental justice focused organization committed to introducing energy saving solutions to low-income households that will promote healthier living practices as well as reducing the burden of high energy bills. Organized on the campus of Morehouse College in the fall of 2007, LRAM’s goal is to raise funds for, obtain, and install one million energy efficient light bulbs or “Clean Bulbs” that will be delivered to households of modest means. Volunteers go into homes and install the bulbs as well as educate participants on the energy savings and environmental advantages of using Clean Bulbs.

About Atlanta Workforce Development Agency

Atlanta Workforce Development Agency (AWDA) is a collaborative partnership between Atlanta’s public and private sector, which develops and cultivates an adequate pool of qualified employees for the growing business market. AWDA is a bureau of the City of Atlanta under the Executive Offices of the Mayor, and was created through the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) signed into legislation in 1998. AWDA's primary purpose is to administer employment and training programs to the citizens of Atlanta to offer workforce solution services to metro Atlanta businesses. Since its inception, AWDA has succeeded in assisting thousands of city residents gain access to training and employment opportunities, providing a well-trained and experienced workforce for area businesses.