Lawrence leading Manhattan in energy-saving competition

After almost seven months spent trailing Manhattan in the Take Charge Challenge, Lawrence has finally taken the lead, but only by a narrow margin.

Lawrence and Manhattan have been competing all year to see which community can conserve the most energy in the statewide energy efficiency challenge, but with bragging rights and a $100,000 prize on the line, Lawrence needs to hang on to its lead for the final six weeks of the competition.

Gaining the edge over Manhattan has been arduous, but according to Take Charge Challenge Coordinator Greg Beverlin, there’s a bigger picture behind the competition.

“We are rivals, but I think every city involved in this benefits,” said Beverlin, “The main goal is for people to make long term changes.”

Yet as the Take Charge Challenge nears its finish line on Sept. 30th, the intrastate rivalry certainly seems to be intensifying. Lawrence is ahead in the two out of three competition categories. To stay ahead, Lawrence students and residents are encouraged to contact Westar Energy about installing WattSaver thermostats, as well as switch incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescent bulbs and register them at takechargeks.org.

If Lawrence can emerge victorious, the $100,000 in grant money will go toward several energy savings projects for the city. According to Beverlin, the projects were chosen by Eileen Horn, Sustainability Coordinator for Lawrence and Douglas County.

They include the installation of solar panels at Lawrence Fire Department Station No. 5 and the Prairie Park Nature Center, giant circulating fans at the East Lawrence Recreation Center, and energy audits for various downtown community buildings.