[chambernews] Fw: Olson MCCE monthly column/Energy Smart

[Kanabec Area Chamber of Commerce]

F.Y.I. - this is very interesting. More on this on the online edition of the November chamber newsletter coming out within the next 2 weeks on our website. I will let you know when it's on the site.
Thank you and have a nice weekend - stay warm!
Karen.

Energy Smart: Save money through energy efficiency


By David C. Olson (President of the MN Chamber)

Rising energy costs are increasingly taking a bigger bite out of budgets. Minnesota businesses now have a new resource for improving energy efficiency and saving money.

Energy Smart, a program of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce, is a statewide initiative designed to help businesses take advantage of conservation programs and increase energy efficiency in their buildings and operations. At its foundation, Energy Smart is a clearinghouse to help connect customers with existing energy efficiency programs offered by the state’s energy utilities.

The Minnesota Chamber, working with our statewide network of local chambers, is well positioned to spread the word that “saving energy is smart business.”

Lighting is often the first area identified to save energy. In fact, lighting upgrades alone can save businesses 35 percent of their lighting costs. Rebates, grants and low-interest loans are available from utility programs if a business implements certain energy efficiency upgrades.

But there are many more avenues to save energy and money. Energy Smart is intended to help businesses identify these opportunities, then help them implement the recommendations to achieve the savings. Utility programs can span the spectrum from rebates for improving refrigeration and air conditioning systems to installing high-efficiency motors in farm equipment and industrial processes.

Energy Smart is borne out of current state law that requires utilities to reduce electricity demand in specific increments on an annual basis. All electric and gas utilities – whether investor-owned, municipal or cooperatives – also are mandated to develop Conservation Improvement Programs. Yet, these programs lack broad-based awareness.

Our staff will help steer businesses to these utility programs, as well as other resources, that can assist in analyzing a company’s energy usage, efficiency upgrade options, potential cost savings and available financial incentives. Energy Smart is intended to provide businesses with the information and tools needed to make informed choices about their energy use and efficiency options.

Energy Smart is open to any size and type of businesses, though we believe it will be most beneficial to small and midsize companies. Many large companies have the ability to hire staff or consultants to look at ways to reduce energy consumption and are seeing significant cost savings through efficiency upgrades. That isn't the norm for smaller companies, though, and that’s where we enter the picture. We can connect businesses with the appropriate resources.

For additional information, businesses can contact Jill Curran, Energy Smart program manager, at (651) 292-4653 or jcurran at mnchamber.com, or visit the Web site at www.mnenergysmart.com. 

Innovation is the hallmark of Minnesota business. This statewide business-driven conservation program is another example of how businesses are changing their processes and practices to save energy and money. In these difficult economic times, our companies are looking for ways to reduce costs.  With the today’s energy prices the timing for this new program could not be better.

Energy Smart is operated through Minnesota Waste, an affiliate program of the Minnesota Chamber which has a strong tradition of helping companies identify ways to reduce waste, thus saving money while protecting the environment. 

The Minnesota Chamber is dedicated to providing Minnesota businesses with the tools and resources they need to be competitive and thrive. We’re proud to announce the launch of Energy Smart – the newest opportunity to give companies another way to reduce their costs of doing business. 

David Olson is president of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce. For more information, visit the Web at www.mnchamber.com.




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