CHAMBERS IN ACTION
Local chambers across the country are taking the lead in creating and convening clean energy conversations, best practices, events and advocating on local policy.
PA Senator, Geisinger Brief Local Chambers on Three New Bills
PA Local Chambers hear from Sen. Reschenthaler, Geisinger Health, about the clean energy economic opportunities emerging in the state this year, and what chamber should be ready for.
Pennsylvania’s Innovative Culture Continues
To some, Pennsylvania may be best known for its great historical significance—as home of the Liberty Bell and the place where the Declaration of Independence was signed and the U.S. Constitution drawn up.
But Pennsylvania has an equally strong history of innovation: being home to the nation’s first baseball stadium, first commercial broadcast station, and the world’s first high-speed, multi-lane highway to name just a few examples.
So perhaps not surprisingly a growing number of Pennsylvania leaders are now taking steps to seize the growing economic opportunities in energy innovation.
“This is a win-win for everyone,” PA Sen. Guy Reschenthaler (R-Allegheny/Washington) said in a recent briefing call with Local Chamber of Commerce Leaders from across the Keystone State.
Sen. Reschenthaler is a co-sponsor Senate Bill 234, which would allow municipalities to establish voluntary programs to provide financing for energy upgrades without any upfront costs. Known as Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE), property owners re-pay the financing through a property assessment. C-PACE is offered in enabling legislation is active in 33 states plus Washington, D.C.
SB 234 was overwhelmingly passed on the Senate floor 42-8 and is now being considered by the House Commerce Committee. Sen. Reschenthaler asked that Chamber leaders contact their legislators to voice their support. Read more about C-PACE.
“It’s about job creation in high paying fields such as electrical contractors, excavating, general construction, engineering, and so on,” Sen. Reschenthaler said. “It will lower energy costs for local businesses, increasing competitiveness.” Importantly, he added, the program uses funds from private institutions, not taxpayer dollars.
Asked why he became interested in CPACE, Reschenthaler said because he believes in energy independence and knows that renewables help contribute to that.
Geisinger Savings Through Efficiency
Co-hosted by the Columbia Montour Chamber, the briefing call was also an opportunity for Local Chamber leaders to hear from Geisinger Health, the largest health system in Pennsylvania, about how they are saving with energy efficiency.
“Energy is one of these topics that can benefit everyone,” said Al Neuner, VP of Facility Operations at Geisinger Health System. As a result of its investments in energy efficiency, Geisinger Hospital has saved $15 million in energy costs, Neuner said.
“And businesses do not have to be as large as Geisinger to benefit from energy efficiency—he noted, adding that it is very scalable and no-risk. Watch a video about Geisinger’s energy efficiency program.
“One of the things we can do as chambers is to play the role of conveyor and bring our business members, the community, the utility, and workforce development organizations together to exchange information so that clean energy, and clean energy workforce training is more relatable to all of our businesses and community members,” said Fred Gaffney, President of the Columbia Montour Chamber.
“There are people and resources there to help you pay for this,” he said, referring to Act 129, a law passed in 2008 to encourage energy efficiency and provides rebates for new appliances, lighting and windows and energy audits. Read more about Act 129.
A 2017 Public Utility Commission study found that Act 129 has delivered $6.4 billion in benefits for all electric consumers to date.
Growing Solar Jobs in PA
The speakers also briefed Local Chamber leaders on the recently passed Act 40, the Solar Jobs bill, aiming to limit state payments to out of state projects and grow jobs here in PA.
Ron Celentano, President of Pennsylvania’s Solar Energy Industry Association told the audience that up to 70 percent of the solar energy purchased in the state was coming from outside the state, said.
The new Solar Jobs bill corrected this by requiring that the solar come from within Pennsylvania.
“We see this as a great opportunity to have more solar jobs created within the state,” Celentano said. “And we’ve been seeing growth of solar jobs already since the passage.”
The call was co-hosted by the Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce and Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy. Chambers for Innovation and Clean Energy will continue to keep you informed as these issues move forward.
Learn more: Post-Gazette
Top 10 Featured Chamber Stories in 2017
Congratulations to the chambers featured in the Top 10 stories highlighting leadership on innovation and economic development.
Congratulations to the chambers featured in the Top 10 stories highlighting leadership on innovation and economic development.
PA Local Chambers Co-host Geisinger Tour with Legislators
"Efficiency lowers overhead, cleans our land, water and air and even saves lives. It's simply the right thing to do," said Bob Garrett, President and CEO of the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce, one of three chambers that hosted a tour of the Geisinger Advanced Energy Plant. Using state incentives, Geisinger purchased energy-saving technologies saves them $15 million a year. More.
In NC, Local Chambers Call on General Assembly to Support "Some of the Best Economic News" to Reach Their Region
Four rural local chambers called on North Carolina's General Assembly leadership to support wind and solar energy-- calling clean energy some of the best economic news to reach the Northeastern part of the state in a long time. More.
Local Chambers Host Largest Clean Energy Convening At MA Statehouse
More than three-dozen local chambers of commerce and member businesses met with legislators for the largest convening of local chambers at the Massachusetts Statehouse to discuss clean energy. More.
CEO of Local MI Chamber Co-hosts National Conversation About Clean Energy
"Local leadership and best practices [in clean energy] are being set by communities," said Doug Luciani, CEO of TraverseConnect in Michigan, which cohosted a nationwide conversation about clean energy for local chambers. "Regions that are going to succeed in attracting the brightest and best are going to be regions that fully embrace these new technologies, doing the right thing for the right reasons." More.
In NV, Local Chamber CEO Serves on Governor's Energy Choice Committee
"From the standpoint of the chamber, my job is to translate what we're learning about energy choice to the positive impact it is expected to have on consumers and local businesses-- on the people who live here," said Ann Silver, CEO of the Reno and Sparks Chamber of Commerce. "I have no doubt: if it's good for people, it's good for business." More.
Ohio Heartland Chambers Visit State Capitol to Set the Record Straight on Wind Energy
More than a dozen local chamber, economic development leaders, and community officials shared their front-line stories about the benefits of wind with state government leaders in 2017. They discussed the value that tax base increases, property owner payments, and increased economic activity deliver to their economies when utility scale wind farms are constructed. More.
In VA, Local Chamber Supports Onshore $20 Million Plus Wind Farm
"Focusing on the energy of the future is just one way to support the business of the future," said former Botetourt County Chamber Executive Director Doloris Vest. The Rocky Forge Wind Farm is expected to generate $20 to $25 million in tax revenue and drive decades of increased local purchasing, employment, and investment. More.
World Gathering of Chambers Learn that, in the US, Local Chambers are Increasingly Supporting Clean Energy
"More and more, local chambers are at the table on important clean energy discussions all over the country," Wendy Northcross, President and CEO of the Cape Cod Chamber, told more than 1,000 CEOs and chamber leaders from more than 100 countries at the annual gathering of the World Chambers Congress in Sydney, Australia. More.
CT Chamber Out Front Again on Clean Energy
"The Bridgeport Regional Business Council recognizes the importance clean energy has on local economic development and job creation," said Jeff Bishop, Executive Director of the Trumbull Chamber of Commerce, an Affiliate Chamber of the Bridgeport Regional Business Council and Business Growth and Retention Director at the BRBC. "We will continue to support the City in their quest to revitalize our business community." More.
In TN, Greater Memphis Chamber Seizes "Clean" as Opportunity for Business Growth Opportunity
"At the Greater Memphis Chamber, we have a commitment to economic growth for all," said Phil Trenary, President and CEO. "And we recognize that the growing opportunities in clean energy are an important part of that mix for our members." More.
More Than 60 Local Chamber Leaders Learn How Clean Energy Policies Benefit Their Member Companies
At the recent Pennsylvania Association of Chamber Professionals (PACP) conference in Clarion, more than 60 local chambers learned how energy efficiency, home-grown solar energy, and innovative finance mechanisms can help save member companies money, and attract more investment and jobs to the Keystone state.
At the recent Pennsylvania Association of Chamber Professionals (PACP) conference, more than 60 local chamber leaders discovered how energy efficiency, home-grown solar energy, and innovative finance mechanisms can help save member companies money, and attract more investment and jobs to the Keystone state.
Highlights include:
Energy efficiency: A practice that helps member companies save money every year.
The Solar Border Bill: A bill recently passed the PA legislature that prioritizes the purchase of PA solar energy over the solar energy in neighboring states. This legislation will create more solar jobs and investment by closing a loophole that had PA ratepayers subsidizing solar energy and job creation in nearby states. This is important to the many chambers with member companies that sell, manufacture parts, or produce solar infrastructure.
Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE): An innovative new financing mechanism that has been proposed to allow PA businesses to finance renewable energy and energy efficiency upgrades at no up-front cost. Nineteen states and Washington, D.C., currently have PACE programs; and there is PACE legislation in 33 states.
The Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) bill, also known as SB 234, is co-sponsored by Sens. Blake (D-22) and Reschenthaler (R-37).
Read about the $340 million in financing over the last seven years.
Local chambers also learned more about what chambers across Pennsylvania are doing to help their members thrive in the clean energy space. See:
Interested in learning more about how your chamber can benefit from the economic development opportunities of clean energy? Contact Kelly Henderson at khenderson@sfchamber.com.
PA Local Chambers Co-host Geisinger Tour with Legislators, Learn How Energy Efficiency Saves $15 Million Annually
Three local chambers—the Greater Susquehanna Valley, Central Pennsylvania and Columbia-Montour Chambers of Commerce— recently attended a tour last week of the Geisinger Advanced Energy Plant.
Three local chambers—the Greater Susquehanna Valley, Central Pennsylvania and Columbia-Montour Chambers of Commerce—attended a tour last week of the Geisinger Advanced Energy Plant.
Using state incentives, Geisinger was able to purchase energy-saving technologies that enable them to heat and cool the Danville campus at essentially no cost. "We are seeing annual savings of $15 million across all facilities" Geisinger Vice President Al Neuner said.
"While we usually approach energy conservation discussions with arguments related to reducing costs and improving our environment, to be able to point to Geisinger as a best practice gives our advocacy a strong local example along with renewed credibility," said Bob Garrett, President & CEO of the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce. "Efficiency lowers overhead, cleans our land, water and air and even saves lives. It's simply the right thing to do."
State Reps. Lynda Schlegel-Culver (R-108) of Sunbury, Fred Keller (R-85) of Kreamer, Kurt Masser (R-107) of Elysburg, and David Millard (R-109) of Bloomsburg, also attended the event.
Watch the ABC news report.
Read The Daily Item.
Learn more through the Geisinger fact sheet.
Interested in co-hosting similar tours with your member businesses? Please contact Kelly Henderson at khenderson@sfchamber.com
Pictured above from left to right: TeaJay Aikey, Finance & Membership Director, Central PA Chamber; Dale Moyer, Interim President & CEO, Central PA Chamber; Fred Gaffney, President, Columbia-Montour Chamber; Bob Garrett, President/CEO, Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber.