TULSA, Okla. — IC Bus of Oklahoma received a check for $142,498.92 from the Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) for retrofitting the company’s Tulsa bus plant with high-efficiency lighting.

The Navistar Inc. subsidiary invested more than $420,000 for lighting retrofits that included the replacement of more than 1,000 metal halide fixtures (ranging from 250 to 1,000 watts) with the same number of new, high-efficiency T-5 fixtures.

Officials estimated that the new lighting at the IC Bus plant will save more than 1.5 million kilowatt-hours of electricity per year and will lower the facility’s electric bill by approximately $75,000 per year.

The lighting installation qualified for the $142,000 incentive payment under PSO’s Business Solutions program, which helps owners of commercial and industrial facilities conserve energy and save money by identifying and implementing high-value energy efficiency improvement projects. Incentives are paid for qualifying projects based on the calculated energy savings resulting from the improvements.

“We are always looking for ways to improve our business and operations at the plant,” said Greg Hutchison, manager of IC Bus’ Tulsa plant. "PSO’s Solutions program, combined with the ongoing cost savings, validates our investment in energy efficiency and helps us maintain a competitive edge.”

PSO Consumer Programs Coordinator Kerry Rowland said that the Business Solutions program has proven to be a valuable tool in helping PSO-served businesses reduce electrical demand and hold down costs.

“We identified a real need for an energy-efficiency program that specifically targets business facilities, especially as budgets are spread thin,” Rowland said. “By partnering with IC Bus to reduce energy costs, their valuable resources can be used for other needs.”

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