Henderson facilities’ efficiency praised

Nancy Sutley, chairwoman of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, visited two Henderson facilities with city officials Thursday morning.

Sutley, President Barack Obama's principal environmental adviser, toured the Heritage Park Aquatic Complex and Senior Facility. Both facilities were constructed to meet high standards of energy efficiency and water conservation.

"It's great for us to interact with communities like Henderson to see what Americans are doing to save energy, save resources but also do great things for the community," Sutley said after her tour.

During an earlier news conference at the aquatic complex, Sutley said she had learned that Henderson's sustainability initiatives were saving the city about
$2 million a year on energy bills.

"That's a really important thing, but you're also making the community healthier and more sustainable and more prepared for the future," she said.

In an interview after the tour, Sutley said she wanted to visit Henderson because she had heard the city was making great strides with its sustainability program.

"This is a climate with a lot of challenges for saving energy and doing things like saving water," she said.

Sutley said the national policy debates need to reflect what is happening in communities around the country.

She said she thought this was the first time she had toured a pool in her position. Pools are important features for communities but also can be big energy users, she said.

The Heritage Park Aquatic Complex and Senior Facility were completed in January 2010.

Both have received gold certification for new construction from the LEED green building rating system.

Later Thursday, Sutley was scheduled to tour the clean-energy features of Nellis Air Force Base.

Contact reporter Carri Geer Thevenot at cgeer@reviewjournal.com or 702-384-8710.