Grand Prairie and McKinstry Forge Partnership for Greener City
October 2009
Newly Awarded Block Grant Paves Way for Energy Efficiency Savings, Improvements
Dallas, TX (10/14/09) – A thriving community located in the heart of the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, the City of Grand Prairie is currently leading a revitalization on a scale that will soon put it in easy company with such cities as Portland, Seattle, Albuquerque and Austin with respect to “green” clean-tech initiatives that create sustainable, high-performance buildings. Leading the charge toward a more environmentally friendly future is Grand Prairie’s Assistant to the City Manager, Mr. Mike Foreman.
Foreman plans to leverage an energy efficiency and conservation block grant of nearly $1.5 million from the Department of Energy, and other funding resources, including Oncor’s “Take-A-Load-Off-Texas” Government Facilities Program (GFP) administered through CLEAResult Consulting; LoanSTAR, a State Energy Conservation Office program; as well as other available grants and incentives to create maximum impact for the citizens of Grand Prairie. The result will be over seventy-six energy-efficiency upgrades to Grand Prairie facilities, and an energy master plan that decreases energy-related expenditures for years to come.
“This program is vital because it guarantees that the financial decision makers understand the long-term effects of utilizing the equipment and therefore can rationalize investing in energy efficiency upgrades,” said Forman.
In conjunction with these initiatives, the City of Grand Prairie has selected McKinstry as its general contractor to implement energy efficiency measures and to fulfill reporting accountability requirements of the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. McKinstry, in partnership with Grand Prairie, will assist in the identification, design, development, and delivery of the most effective facility and technology upgrades to reduce the city’s overall energy costs. Improvements could include upgrades to HVAC equipment, lighting systems, energy management control systems, as well as installation of renewable technologies like solar hot water systems and photovoltaic energy systems.
In alignment with President Obama’s vision of stimulating the US Economy, it is expected that this work will spur sustainable job creation, generate an annual cost-savings impact for the City of Grand Prairie, and contribute to a more environmentally sound city overall.
An industry leader, McKinstry pioneered the practice of integrated design and delivery by becoming the first mechanical contractor to bring designers and engineers under one roof to create a model of Design-Build-Operate-and-Maintain (DBOM) for optimal operation and best efficiency. McKinstry’s full range of in-house capabilities and expertise – which includes all aspects of engineering and construction services in addition to sustainability consulting, energy and facility services – provides clients with a single-source of accountability on any project. The proximity of McKinstry’s variously skilled tradespeople and their consistent interaction with one another facilitates smooth communication on each job, which in turn drives waste and redundancy out of the design/build process to save clients time and money, and provide them with high performance facilities that continue to perform optimally over time.
It is this in-depth knowledge base that will inform McKinstry as they move forward with their partnership with Mr. Foreman and the City of Grand Prairie to effect change in its energy use profile. McKinstry projects in the Southwest and across the nation have eliminated 247,025 metric tons of CO2 emissions since 2001, which is equivalent to removing 45,243 cars from US highways or offsetting the energy use of 21, 803 homes or conserving 28,039,163 gallons of gasoline or saving 1,723 acres of forest from destruction or recycling 85,181 tons of waste instead of sending it to the landfill.
About McKinstry
McKinstry is a full-service, design-build-operate-and-maintain (DBOM) firm specializing in consulting, construction, energy and facility services. Our innovative, integrated delivery methodology provides clients with a single point of accountability that drives waste, cost, time, and redundancy out of the design/build process. We employ over 1,600 professional staff and trades people throughout the Pacific Northwest, Rocky Mountains, West, Midwest, and Southwest regions of the United States with operations in more than 15 states. McKinstry advocates collaborative and sustainable solutions designed to ensure occupant comfort, improve systems efficiency, reduce facility operational costs, and ultimately optimize profitability for “The Life of Your Building.”
For more information, visit www.mckinstry.com
Contact: Lynnel Hampton, Marketing Specialist
(206) 762-3311 or email at lynnelh@mckinstry.com
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