Pine Bluff, Arkansas (February 16, 2024) – University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB) and Summit Utilities Arkansas (Summit) are proud to announce an energy efficiency partnership that led to UAPB receiving nearly $40,000 back in rebates. In 2023, UAPB installed energy efficient tankless hot water heaters and boilers throughout different buildings across campus. UAPB took advantage of Summit Utilities’ Energy Efficiency Programs, which allows organizations to earn rebates that help offset the cost of energy efficient natural gas equipment upgrades.   

"We are pleased to be able to partner with Summit in making UAPB a more energy efficient campus,” said George Cotton, UAPB Vice Chancellor Institutional Advancement. “As an educational leader for the region, we take seriously our role in helping to reduce the impact of our energy footprint on society."   

“At Summit, our communities come first, and we are glad to assist UAPB with their energy efficient natural gas solutions while guiding the school through our rebate programs,” said Jose Laboy, Summit’s Energy Efficiency manager. “Not only is UAPB getting the energy efficient rebates, but they will also see a significant cost savings on their monthly natural gas bill.”   

The project involved the installation of 21 tankless water heaters, for which UAPB secured a rebate incentive totaling $10,500. UAPB also upgraded five high-efficiency heating boilers in the Business and Fine Arts buildings that earned the University a rebate incentive of $28,441. UAPB’s upgrades will reduce its energy consumption by 11,000 CCF of natural gas per year.  According to the EPA Greenhouse Gas Calculator, this is equivalent to greenhouse gas emissions avoided by 20.5 tons of waste recycled instead of landfilled. UAPB is dedicated to sustainable initiatives and plans to use the rebates to install more energy efficiency appliances throughout campus.  

To learn more about Summit’s energy efficiency programs for residential customers, visit: https://summitutilities.com/residential/residential-rebates-efficiency-programs.  

For more information about Summit’s energy efficiency programs for commercial and industrial customers, visit: https://summitutilities.com/commercial/commercial-rebates-efficiency-programs.