SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., – Because of an energy efficiency program promoted by Nebraska Public Power District, Regional West Medical Center is “brighter,” uses electric energy more efficiently, and now has some extra cash on hand.

Terry Rajewich, NPPD account manager, presented officials of the Scottsbluff hospital with a custom lighting incentive check in the amount of $11,811 for a lighting and energy efficiency upgrade.

“This is an ongoing effort between us and NPPD to reduce our energy footprint,” said David Griffith, Regional West Medical Center’s vice president of finance. “To use energy as efficiently as possible is good for both of us and – in a larger, ‘big picture’ way – for the nation.”

This portion of the energy efficiency upgrades at the Medical Center involved replacing 54 lamp fixtures, 23 fluorescent freezer/refrigerator case lights with LEDs, and three centrifugal pumps along with a custom lighting incentive package. The results are visible, both to the eye and to the hospital’s bottom line.

“In addition to improving the hospital’s lighting system, this project will save about 86,410 kilowatt hours of electricity for the first year,” Rajewich said. That’s a potential annual savings for the hospital of $8,641.

Regional West Medical Center applied for and received the incentive funding from NPPD’s EnergyWiseSM programs help customer use energy wisely, and we don’t need to run our power plants to generate excessive electric power. This creates a win-win for the customer and NPPD.”

Since NPPD began its EnergyWiseSM energy efficiency program several years ago, Regional West has received a total of $33,971.10 in incentive payments.

Regional West Health Services, with over 1,800 employees, provides comprehensive and innovative health care services for the people and communities of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota and Wyoming. With over 110 active physicians, 95 percent of whom are board certified or board eligible, plus an additional 25 consulting specialists, Regional West offers care that spans more than 30 medical specialties. Regional West Medical Center, a subsidiary of Regional West Health Services, is accredited by The Joint Commission and is one of three Level II Trauma Centers in Nebraska.