Arapaho-Butler Public Schools has received an incentive check for $2,816.14 from Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO) for participation in PSO’s Smart Schools program.

Smart Schools is offered by PSO to help school districts reduce operating costs by identifying and implementing energy efficiency improvement projects. The amount of the incentive is determined by the total amount of energy that will be saved through those improvements.

Arapaho-Butler Public Schools earned its incentive for the installation of high efficiency lighting and HVAC equipment during construction of new classrooms and a gymnasium. The new lighting and HVAC systems will conserve an estimated 22,241 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year. The kWh savings equates to approximately $1,500 per year in operational cost savings.

"The Smart Schools program helped us identify ways we can conserve energy and save money," said Arapaho-Butler Public Schools Superintendent, Bob Haggard. "That money can be reinvested directly back into our schools."

"We identified a real need for an energy efficiency program that specifically targets schools, especially as budgets are spread thin," said Donna Satterlee, Customer Services representative for PSO. "By partnering with Arapaho-Butler Public Schools to reduce energy costs, their valuable resources can be used for other needed projects."

PSO, a unit of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), is an electric utility company serving more than 530,000 customers in eastern and southwestern Oklahoma. With headquarters in Tulsa, PSO has 4,321 megawatts of generating capacity and provides electricity to 230 cities and towns across a service area encompassing 30,000 square miles. News releases and other information about PSO can be found on the World Wide Web at PSOklahoma.com.