PUBLIC SERVICE ENTERPRISE GROUP, INC. 
By April 24, 2014
(Montclair, NJ - April 24, 2014) - Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) and HackensackUMC Mountainside today celebrated the completion of more than $4.2 million worth of energy efficiency upgrades at the hospital's Montclair, NJ campus. The improvements were made possible through the PSE&G Hospital Efficiency Program, a $129 million effort by New Jersey's oldest and largest gas and electric utility that is helping 32 hospitals to better manage their energy consumption.
The upgrades will save HackensackUMC Mountainside $350,000 annually in utility costs, or about $7 million over the 20 year lifespan of the new equipment. Improvements include the installation of new heating boilers and new air conditioning chillers as well as the installation of energy efficient lighting and ventilation controls and the replacement of outdated cathode ray tube (CRT) computer screens with new energy efficient LCD screens. In addition to reducing energy bills, the upgrades will improve the comfort and convenience of HackensackUMC Mountainside patients, staff and visitors.
"PSE&G has a long-standing commitment to the communities that we serve, and hospitals tend to anchor neighborhoods and serve as a vital resource for the residents they serve," said Joe Forline, vice president - customer solutions for PSE&G. "Our Hospital Efficiency Program is helping these institutions save money on their utility bills which frees up resources that they can better use for their core healthcare mission. And lower energy use translates into cleaner air for all of us to breathe."
In addition to the dollar savings, the energy efficiency work at HackensackUMC Mountainside will conserve enough kilowatt hours of electricity annually to power 275 homes for a year and enough natural gas to supply nearly 150 homes for a year.
"HackensackUMC Mountainside's involvement in this program is in alignment with our commitment to prudently manage our resources, value sustainability, reduce waste and curb excess consumption," said John Fromhold, FACHE, Chief Executive Officer of HackensackUMC Mountainside. "We share PSE&G's energy conservation goals and applaud its understanding of the important role community hospitals such as HackensackUMC Mountainside play in the lives of their constituents."
Through the Hospital Efficiency Program, PSE&G provides an investment-grade audit at no cost to the hospital, then proposes various cost effective energy conservation measures that will make substantial improvements in the hospital's efficient use of energy with a payback period of less than 15 years. The program greatly reduces the financial burden on a hospital by providing up-front funding for the total cost of a project. The hospital then pays back a portion of the total project cost after the project is complete through its PSE&G bill at zero percent interest over 36 months.
HackensackUMC Mountainside is in the process of forming "Green Teams" comprised of employees representing diverse departments to identify and champion ways to reduce costs through greater sustainability, energy efficiency, recycling and other activities. The hospital's successful green initiatives include an operating room reprocessing program that keeps more than 5,700 lbs. of surgical devices out of landfills and saves more than $200,000 annually by returning materials to their original manufacturer to be reconditioned.
"It's essential that we create and maintain a green hospital," said CEO Fromhold. "Along with participation in large-scale projects such as the PSE&G initiative, we emphasize that simple actions by every employee and small changes in their daily routines can collectively make a meaningful environmental difference while also improving our operating efficiency."
About PSE&G
Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) is New Jersey's oldest and largest regulated gas and electric delivery utility, serving nearly three-quarters of the state's population. PSE&G is the winner of the ReliabilityOne Award for superior electric system reliability. PSE&G is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (PSEG) (NYSE:PEG), a diversified energy company (www.pseg.com).
About HackensackUMC Mountainside
At HackensackUMC Mountainside, patients have immediate access to innovative and effective treatment alternatives at specialized centers within the hospital that focus on imaging, women's health, cancer care, surgery, obesity, stroke and chronic kidney disease. The 365-bed community hospital also serves as a learning center via its nursing school and residency programs. HackensackUMC Mountainside is designated as a Primary Stroke Center by the NJ State Department of Health and Senior Services and is one of only a few community hospitals licensed by the State to perform emergency angioplasty.www.mountainsidehosp.com.
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