TULSA, Okla., October 24, 2008 – Volunteers from Public Service Company of Oklahoma (PSO), and local churches and high schools will join with Rebuilding Together Tulsa to weatherize the homes of 30 low-income seniors in the Tulsa area on Saturday, October 25, from 8:30 am – 12:30 pm.
 
The volunteers will install weather-stripping, compact fluorescent light bulbs, caulking, low-flow shower heads, and electrical outlet insulation to make the homes more comfortable and weatherproof for their residents. As part of this project, additional attic insulation also will be installed.
 
The weatherization measures will reduce air leakage and infiltration which will reduce the amount of energy that must be consumed to keep the homes at a comfortable temperature winter and summer. This, in turn, will help the homeowners save on their utility bills for heating and cooling.
 
Beyond improving comfort and helping individuals save on their utility bills, the weatherization partnership of PSO and Rebuilding Together Tulsa fits into a broader framework as part of PSO’s new demand-side management (DSM) program. PSO’s DSM program is designed to help customers use electricity more efficiently, and to slow the annual rate of growth in customer energy usage. Slowing the growth rate in energy usage would reduce the amount of costly new investment PSO must make to expand electric generation resources, which also would benefit customers’ utility bills.
 
The effort to weatherize homes this Saturday is part of an overall package of seven PSO DSM "quick-start" programs approved for implementation by the Oklahoma Corporation Commission earlier this year. The seven programs are ones that can be implemented quickly, and they have proven track records for reducing electric demand growth rates and helping customers save energy.
 
"Approximately 250 homes will need to be weatherized through this piece of our DSM quick-start program to achieve the energy savings goal we have set for it," said Kathy Champion, manager of PSO’s Demand-Side Management and Energy Efficiency program. "Our partnership with Rebuilding Together Tulsa is a good start toward achieving that goal."
 
Rebuilding Together Tulsa is a local non-profit organization that makes repair to homes for homeowners living on limited incomes. Rebuilding Together Tulsa has been repairing homes for low-income seniors and people living with disabilities in Tulsa for the last eleven years. Repairs focus on safety, security, and weatherproofing and are done at no cost to the homeowner. Since July 1, 2007, Rebuilding Together Tulsa has made repairs to 199 homes for Tulsa homeowners.
 
PSO, a unit of American Electric Power (NYSE: AEP), is an electric utility company serving approximately 525,000 customers in eastern and southwestern Oklahoma. Based in Tulsa, PSO owns 4,400 megawatts of generating capacity, and is the largest provider of wind energy in the state. News releases and other information about PSO can be found on the World Wide Web at PSOklahoma.com.
 
For additional information about the October 25 weatherization effort, please contact Jennifer Barcus-Schafer, executive director, Rebuilding Together Tulsa, at 742-6241 x4, cell 344-2116.
 
For additional information about PSO’s demand-side management program, please contact Kathy Champion, PSO DSM program manager, 599-2206, cell 230-6643.
 
Note to news media: Due to the mobile nature of Saturday’s weatherization project, please contact either Kathy Champion, cell 230-6643, or Jennifer Barcus-Schafer, cell 344-2116, if you wish to be directed to an address where the weatherization volunteers are working, and/or to arrange an interview with Champion or Barcus-Schafer.