The Greer Commissioners of Public Works (CPW) this afternoon approved a $400 incentive package for potential gas customers. It becomes effect Tuesday.
Any CPW customer, new or current, that install primary heating systems – gas furnaces, gas packs or vented gas space heaters – or a gas hot water heater will receive a refund incentive of $400. The refund will be issued after the installation of the appliances or hot water heater is complete and an inspection by the appropriate authority is performed.
General Manager Nick Stegall presented the proposal to the board. Board Commissioner Perry Williams and commissioners Eugene Gibson and Jeff Howell approved the incentive package.
The offer is not available for new construction of homes, condominiums, apartments or townhomes. The rebate is only available for the replacement of equipment served by an alternative fuel source.
CPW mandates all equipment must be installed by a HVAC or plumbing contractor licensed in the state.
Stegall said the purpose to offer the incentive package was to promote the use of natural gas on CPW’s system. It’s only available to residential customers installing new natural gas appliances.
An application for refund must be submitted and approved before a refund is issued. CPW said the promotion may be discontinued or modified at any time without notice.
• Water and Sewer Energy Efficiency Grant: Stegall reported it received an $182,310 grant to change 15 of its larger, aging motors at its energy plant. “This can help us save on energy in the future,” Stegall said. The grant stipulates the motors be American-made and must replace/upgrade inefficient equipment with new high efficiency pumps, motors and other equipment that will reduce energy demands and costs. The project must be completed by Jan. 30, 2012.
• Water level study: CPW conducted an informal survey of lakes Cunningham and Robinson water levels to analyze if the recent drought was diminishing the water supply. “We saw more organic growth and we were using a little more chemicals,” Stegall said. Commissioner Gibson said there was no concern because water levels have not dropped to where action was needed.
Stegall said the study was done previous to the rains that began Sept. 20.
The Greer area was reported under an extreme drought. But the most recent measure was taken last week, before the steady rains dropped from 1.5 up inches of rain in some Greer areas to almost six inches reported by the National Weather Service at Greenville-Spartanburg Airport at Greer.
In other action CPW:
• A bid of $107,398 was approved for resurfacing CPW’s front parking lot and operations center.
• A bid of $216,000 by Cunningham-Waters was approved for construction of a truck/equipment shed.
• A bid of $80,003 by Ditch Witch of the Carolinas for the purchase of a new trencher/plow/backhoe combination.
• The Buckaroo Ranch Estates off Suber Road will get a gas line for 7-8 new apartments.
• Nov. 22 is the date of the CPW commissioners meeting. It was moved one week back because of the Thanksgiving holidays.
• Updates on North Highway 101 Substation (80-90 percent complete with October deadline), Pennington Road improvements and the Highway 357 gas extension were ongoing within their schedules.
The board met in executive session to discuss proposed contractual agreements. No action was reported.