Rock Island 1st city to redeem green rebate

By Dustin Lemmon

Quad City Times, Davenport, IA

Published Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Rock Island’s efforts to be environmentally friendly earned the city the honor of being the first in the state to take advantage of a state rebate program by buying 21 hybrid-electric cars.

The Honda Civics purchased from Zimmerman Cars of Rock Island will go on the street this week and be used by public works, police and firefighters and community and economic development departments.

“Over the next few years, we estimate we’ll be able to save 25 tons of carbon monoxide that would have otherwise been put into the atmosphere,” Mayor Mark Schwiebert said Monday.

The city used the state’s $1,000 rebate, a federal tax rebate and deal discounts to lower the cost of the hybrids from $23,235 each to $18,765. The vehicles are expected to save Rock Island $76,000 in fuel costs during the 10-year life expectancy of the cars.

The rebate program is offered by Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias’ office and is part of $2 million being offered to make purchasing the vehicles, which run on a combination of electricity and gas, more affordable.

Rock Island “is showing going green is becoming the rule, not the exception,” Giannoulias said at a news conference Monday in Rock Island. “I can only hope more communities, more cities, more municipalities, will follow their lead.”

While other communities have purchased hybrid cars, Rock Island is the first to use the program, officials with the treasurer’s office said.

“It’s very important that we do something about these CO2 emissions,” Rep. Pat Verschoore, D-Milan, said. “I’m glad Rock Island is first in this. They’ve been first in a lot of things.”

Schwiebert noted other environmentally friendly projects started by the city include the recent purchase of a hydropower plant and the formation of a “green team,” which generates new ideas for improving the environment.

Rock Island’s Assistant City Manager Robert Hawes said the vehicles will start going out today. Drivers and mechanics are receiving special training for the vehicles.

Green Rewards

Under the Green Rewards program, the Illinois Treasurer’s Office has committed $2 million in rebates to make high-mileage hybrid vehicles, which run on gasoline and electricity, more affordable.

The treasurer’s office deposits $25,000 with a lender when a purchaser finances a car. The treasurer’s office accepts 4 percent less in interest earnings on the $25,000 deposit, freeing up $1,000 for the lender to rebate to the purchaser. Unlike other lenders, Chase Bank offers the rebate in the form of a $1,000 VISA gift card.

Source: Illinois Treasurer’s Office