From the left, Kansas Cooley, EE & Consumer Programs coordinator; Sylvia Cardenas, Customer Services account representative; April Cox, assistant superintendent of administration at Kilgore Independent School District; Alexandria Coner, Consumer Programs marketing coordinator; and Mark Robinson, External Affairs manager.
KILGORE, TX (SWEPCO) – Kilgore ISD moves closer to debuting its new high school, with energy-efficient lighting set to brighten classrooms for the back-to-school season, supported by Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO) incentives.
On Monday, SWEPCO team members delivered a $49,505.62 incentive check to Kilgore ISD. These funds come from energy savings generated by the installation of high-efficiency equipment. The upgrades are expected to save nearly 400,000 kWh annually.
“We are happy that we have the opportunity to utilize our energy efficiency programs to benefit the city of Kilgore and its school,” said Nick Mayfield, SWEPCO Energy Efficiency Programs Coordinator. “Partnerships like this benefit our customers by conserving energy. We look forward to continuing our partnerships with the community of Kilgore and the rest of our Texas service territory.”
The project included energy-efficient lighting and HVAC systems. According to ENERGY STAR®, this amount of energy savings is enough to power more than 30 homes for an entire year in the United States.
“We are grateful for the partnership with SWEPCO and the Compass for Schools team throughout the construction of our new Kilgore High School,” said April Cox, Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Services for Kilgore ISD. “Their commitment and expertise have helped us maximize energy efficiency and create a facility designed to serve generations of Bulldogs. These incentives will provide long-term operational savings while supporting an exceptional learning environment for our students and staff for years to come.”The new Kilgore High School is set to open in August, and the 250,154-square-foot campus will serve approximately 1,100 students and more than 150 staff members. Construction began in December 2022.
Kilgore ISD received funding through the COMPASS for Schools program, which provides no-cost support to plan energy-efficient projects for schools within SWEPCO’s Texas service territory.
“We have had 18 separate projects through our COMPASS for Schools program this year alone in the Texas Independent School Districts,” Mayfield added.
Qualifying schools receive funds and services for eligible renovation and new construction projects that result in reduced peak electric demand. Incentives can vary based on the savings generated by each project. The COMPASS for Schools program began in 2023.
SWEPCO’s involvement in Kilgore is longstanding.
Alongside the incentive supporting the new Kilgore High School, ongoing energy efficiency projects across the community are helping customers reduce energy use and costs. This includes a recent $25,755 incentive for upgrades at CHRISTUS Good Shepherd Medical Center, as well as improvements at the Kilgore College Library and community landmarks like the East Texas Oil Museum. Together, these efforts reflect a collaborative approach to making energy savings accessible and supporting the long-term efficiency of the places people rely on every day.