O'Hare International Airport just got a little brighter and greener, thanks to a hefty incentive from ComEd. The Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA) and ComEd are celebrating the completion of a major energy-efficient lighting upgrade for Terminals 1 and 3, a move that lights the way to a more sustainable future for the city.
With a partnership that goes beyond mere aesthetics, these new LED fixtures are not just modernizing the airport but are also poised to diminish O'Hare's energy use by an estimated "nearly 1.75 million kilowatt-hours a year" as stated by the CDA. This translates into real-world effects as a reduction of "more than 1.1 million pounds of carbon emissions" every year—a figure that stands in solidarity with the city's broader climate aspirations.
CDA Commissioner Jamie L. Rhee amplified the sustainable ethos driving this initiative in a statement acquired by the Chicago government's news, expressing gratitude to ComEd for assisting in efforts to shrink O'Hare's carbon footprint and bolstering the city's green cred. With initiatives ranging from comprehensive sustainability manuals to the less conventional—think grass-munching livestock—the CDA demonstrates an enduring commitment to green practices.
ComEd hasn't hesitated to reward these eco-friendly strides, dispensing more than $326,000 in incentives through their Energy Efficiency Program. By our calculations, the savings in juice and maintenance, combined with ComEd's incentives, could see O'Hare's investment paid back in under a year, a win for both the environment and the city's purse strings.
According to Melissa Washington, ComEd's Chief Customer Officer, the partnership is a testament to shared values in "making our buildings more sustainable and reducing our collective emissions." It's about creating a legacy for the airports, and Chicago communities whose lineage of sustainability will extend "for years to come."
Launched in 2008, the ComEd Energy Efficiency Program has been a boon for energy consumers across the board, helping customers save over $8 billion on energy bills and slashing "more than 55 billion pounds of carbon emissions." These numbers aren't merely impressive, they're downright imperative, given today's climate landscape and the urgent call to action it demands.
