Caney Valley Public Schools has been awarded an incentive check for $6,241.21 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 incentive award is based on the amount of energy projected to be saved by higher efficiency systems as compared to standard efficiency systems.

Caney Valley Public Schools earned their incentive for installing new high efficiency lighting and cooling equipment.

"The incentive from PSO certainly validates our investment in energy efficiency," said Caney Valley Schools Superintendent Rick Peters. "It’s important that Caney Valley Public Schools sets a positive example for our students and our community, and reducing our energy usage is a good way to help do that."

It’s estimated the new lighting and cooling equipment will save about 30,293 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year, equivalent to the carbon dioxide emissions of more than 2,342 gallons of gasoline, according to Environmental Protection Agency calculations.

"We identified a real need for an energy efficiency program that specifically targets schools, especially as budgets are spread thin," said Charlotte Stukey, customer services representative for PSO. "By partnering with Caney Valley Public Schools to reduce energy costs, their valuable resources can be used for other needed projects."

"The Smart Schools Program helped us identify ways we can conserve energy and save money," said Peters. "The money that is saved can be reinvested directly into our schools and a positive example will be set for our residents by conserving energy."

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 4,405 megawatts of generating capacity and provides electricity to 230 cities and towns across a service area encompassing 30,000 square miles.