Pacific Power presented the Port of Astoria with a check last month for almost $127,000 from the Energy Trust of Oregon.
The incentive funding, earned through energy efficiencies at the new Bornstein Seafood plant on port property, was part of a Trust program aimed at improving energy efficiency in businesses statewide.
Bornstein’s, an Astoria business for over 70 years, recently relocated to port property and expanded its facilities.
Expansion plans included energy efficient systems that will save about 634,000 kilowatt-hours of energy annually. That adds up to a yearly electric bill savings in the neighborhood of $23,000.
The Bornstein plant qualified for the incentives by installing high efficiency refrigeration units that use much less electricity than traditional equipment.
"The port is proud to work with a processing plant that is doing so much to save and conserve," said Interim Port Director Ron Larsen in a Pacific Power press release.
The port and Bornstein’s worked on the energy efficiency project for about three years, with assistance from Energy Trust consultants.
The non-profit Energy Trust derives its funding from customer fees charged by public utilities. Incentives reward Oregon businesses that take steps to save energy. The Energy Trust is overseen by the Oregon Public Utility Commission.