News & Events >> July 2005
Future Partners
Blue Mountains Gazette, 13 July 2005
Integral Energy and the Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute (BMWHI)
have announced they have formed a community partnership to help deliver
more sustainable energy solutions for the Blue Mountains.
Integral Energy will become a key partner in the BMWHI’s campaign to
have the Blue Mountains included in the Australian Greenhouse Office’s
Solar Cities trial.
“ The partnership will provide $50,000 worth of support to cary out energy audits throughout Lawson.
“The audits will show how lower energy usage can be achieved, and also
provide examples of what could be achieved throughout the Blue
Mountains City Council local government area,” said Integral Energy
Chief Executive Officer Richard Powis.
“ Integral Energy is committed to placing energy use on a more
sustainable footing for the future. The way people use energy is
changing. There are now more home businesses and there has been a
greater uptake of electrical appliances.
“ Our partnership with the Blue Mountains World Heritage Institute will
investigate how to reduce the impact of these changing patterns,” said
Mr Powis.
Dr John Merson,
Executive Director of BMWHI added "The partnership between the BMWH
Institute and Integral Energy aims to bring greater energy efficiency
to the Blue Mountains Region. The project is linked to the BMCC's City
Sustainability program, and while it will focus on the township of
Lawson in the first instance, it is hoped that the strategies developed
there will be extended to the rest of the municipality in coming years.”
Reducing electricity usage not only reduces costs to consumers, but is
also a small step to reducing greenhouse emissions through greater
energy efficiency on the part of both households and businesses.
BMCC Mayor Jim Angel added; “We are a city surrounded by a world
heritage national park and we should be leading the way in sustainable
research."
" The World Heritage
Institute was established to provide research solutions to ensure
sustainable development of the urban environment in the Blue Mountains
as well as management of the natural environment and protection of the
world heritage area.
" This
partnership with Integral Energy is the first, of what we hope will be
many, between the Institute, council and other agencies to come up with
sustainable solutions for the Mountains."
