Citgo to distribute energy efficient lightbulbs

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.