The findings of an energy audit conducted by Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities (IAMU) for the City of Harlan have been released. Officials with Harlan Municipal Utilities say included in the report are specific recommendations on how to decrease electric, gas and water use at City facilities. Street lights and traffic signals are the largest energy consumers followed by the swimming pool, the waste water treatment plant and Veteran’s Memorial Building.

HMU says the audit was a necessary and productive effort in order to save money to citizens in Harlan. The new street lights and traffic signals will have a big impact on the savings. The utility company converted the stop lights to LED lights and is in the process of changing all street lights over to LED lights as well. The savings is estimated around 50 percent and that will the savings will be passed on to the consumers.

HMU Additional buildings and facilities included in the audit were: City Hall/Police station, C.G. Therkildsen Activity Center, Waste Water Treatment Plan, Developsource Building, the Library, the fire station, Dog Pound, Parks and Rec building, and the street maintenance building.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)