With four supporting votes and one of dissent - from District 5 Supervisor Brian Oneto - Amador County supervisors agreed to join a program that will review the county's energy use in hopes to save the county thousands of dollars.

On May 6, Jerry Scott, a representative from the Local Governments for Sustainability Program, a component of the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, gave an overview of the program in a presentation during the board of supervisors meeting.

"I don't see it as any problem," District 4 Supervisor Louis Boitano told the Ledger Dispatch when asked if he foresaw any challenges with the review process. The program, he said, will survey the county's different energy sources, and provide a report to the county outlining ways to reduce and preserve energy.

If implemented, the program's plan would not only reduce county energy use and costs, it would save tax payers money and "reduce our dependence on foreign oil," Scott said during his presentation. The inventory would include all "CO2 emissions that a county or city government is directly or indirectly responsible for" including: carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and other air pollution emissions.

"The program provides the tools, technical consulting, training, and information services for members," Scott said.

Membership costs $600 per year, the same amount the board agreed to pay to become members and receive the detailed report.

Oneto said he wasn't so sure the studies were worth the money.

"I wasn't comfortable voting yes," Oneto said. It may end up costing the county more than $600 per year, he said, "and I was wondering how much (county) staff time it will take."

"I believe that everyone should have a free lunch," he said in a phone interview Wednesday. "But someone has to pay for it."

Amador Citizens for Energy Conservation is "totally committed to working with you," Scott told the board, noting that the group has about 15 volunteers.

The program has been implemented in nine counties and 45 cities, he said. Palo Alto had saved an annual amount of $177,625, using florescent light; Visalia, $143,000 with LED traffic lights, building retrofits and changing city lighting to CFLs. "Alameda is very efficient," he said, "and saves about $6 million a year."