Rep DePasquale Speaks on Renewable Energy

Renewable Energy Projects and the State Budget 

State Representative DePasquale Speaks at Lancaster County Meeting

Peggy Fogarty-Harnish, George Hurd, and Terry Kile 

At the recent quarterly breakfast of the Lancaster County Center of Excellence in Renewable Energy, keynote speaker State Rep. Eugene DePasquale, D-York, spoke of his commitment to energy efficiency and the need for energy independence.  As the primary sponsor of the Pennsylvania's Clean Energy Act (HB 2405), he noted that his bill would significantly boost the amount of energy derived from cleaner, alternative energy sources, create manufacturing jobs and provide enough clean energy to power 2.1 million homes.   DePasquale said he will continue to push for a vote in the House after the summer recess.  His original sponsorship in the Alternative Energy Investment Act of 2008 invested $650 million into alternative energy resources in the Commonwealth.     

Scott Sheely, liaison from the Workforce Investment Board to the Center for Excellence in Renewable Energy also spoke about training funds his Board recently received.  Sheely, asked the fifty-six attendees to suggest topics for training that could be subsidized, and the audience suggested  energy audits, use of sensors, behavioral aspects of conservation, planning around sustainable communities, credentialed training for trades people, best practices tours, and youth programming.  The WIB staff will be working on a schedule for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2011.

The breakfast series invites people representing area businesses working in renewable energy as well as local, county, state and federal agencies and elected officials, educational institutions, financial institutions and representatives of business associations.  A prime mission of the Center is  supporting education regarding energy conservation and energy options; encouraging collaboration among area companies to conserve, buy, and sell energy; and sponsoring technology transfer to encourage renewable energy generation projects. 

The next Renewable Energy Breakfast will be 7:30am on October 19, 2010 at the Farm and Home Center and will be followed with a tour of renewable energy sites.  Contact Peggy Fogarty-Harnish at Penn State Cooperative Extension to learn more about it.  Phone - 717-394-6851 or email - pfogharn@psu.edu, or check out the Center’s web site http://www.lancastercountyrenewableenergy.com/