WASHINGTON, D.C. — Former Congressman Joe Kennedy, Venezuelan ambassador Ricardo Alvarez and Citgo President Alejandro Grarado kicked off the second phase of the Venezuela-Citgo Community Assistance program at the home of Shirley and Claude Braxton. Through the Energy Efficient Lighting Program compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) will be distributed to low-and middle-income homes. This program supplements the Citgo-Venezuela Heating Oil program that provides winter fuel assistance for more than 1.2 million U.S. households during the past two years. The Braxtons are recipients of Citgo’s reduced-rate home heating oil.
Citgo is owned by PDV America, Inc., a subsidiary of the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela.
The CFL pilot program is being implemented here, Houston, Corpus Christi, Tex., Lamont, Ill., and Lake Charles, La., where Citgo refineries operate. It will also be implemented in Boston, Philadelphia, New York City, Milwaukee, Madison, Wisc., and Minneapolis.
CITGO estimates that recipients will save $14.9 million and cut their energy use by 165 million kilowatt hours during the life of the energy-efficient light bulbs. Approximately 460,000 light bulbs will be distributed. The average household will receive about 20 CFLs.
Teams of installers will retrofit the lighting fixtures and provide information about anticipated dollar and energy savings.
“Hedge funds and traders make more money when the U.S. uses more oil. We are about saving oil. And the only oil company which has responded to our request to do more for America,” said Kennedy. He pointed out that in Boston alone where 40,000 CFLs will be distributed, the lifetime dollar savings will be $1.78 million, with potential elimination of CO2 emissions to remove 1,930 cars off the road.
Ambassador Alvarez said “The energy problem is a spring, summer, fall, winter problem. We are a country with so much oil, yet we are interested in conservation. We must be. We are all in the same world. We are happy to be in a position to inspire other corporations to help with this pressing problem.”
Guests of the Braxton’s press event included members of SEIU, AFT and the labor councils of DC and Northern Virginia, CASA Maryland and DC, and the Venezuelan Solidarity Network.
For information on the Venezuela-CITGO program please call: 1-800-315-7682.
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