The St. Mary’s League of Women Voters hosted the Second Annual Energy and Environment Forum Wednesday, January 6 in Leonardtown. LWVSMC President Patricia Dunlap welcomed the public and introduced a panel featuring Delegate Sally Jameson, Commissioner Dan Raley, SMECO Energy Conservation Manager Jeff Shaw and NAS Pax River’s Environmental Division Director Lance McDaniel.
SMECO’s Shaw expressed the electric co-op’s concern for energy conservation and provided an overview of programs geared to help more customers increase efficiency, saving money and precious resources. Shaw announced SMECO was “bringing back rebates”, like in-store rebates for CFL bulbs, rebates for homeowners to replace energy-gobbling HVAC systems and appliances as well as incentives for Energy Star new home construction.
He said for the first time, SMECO is offering a “Quick Home Energy Check-up”, where they’ll check out how efficient your home’s efficiency and review your bills with you, at no cost to the customer. If approved by the Public Service Commission, SMECO will also be lowering its summer and winter rates in 2010.
Jameson explained several actions at the state level, like the Smart, Green and Growing legislative agenda that plans to create 100,000 jobs by 2015. She said legislators made it a goal to attract clean energy businesses and hopes the state won’t be “short-sighted” in building transmissions. Jameson stated, “It’s up to us. We have to be the ones who push these new technologies through.”
Representing Pax River and regional military installations, McDaniel said he’d only been in his Environmental Division Director position for a few months, but was glad to share the list of conservation projects supported. McDaniel offered details about the installation of Building Integrated Photo Voltaic solar panels on the air station’s Building 515 and the upgrade to T5 Florescent bulbs in Hangar 305. He said though it hasn’t been required, the base continues to make energy-smart improvements.
Raley said, “I’ve seen tremendous change in the eleven years I’ve been a commissioner.” He suggested growth management, rural preservation, and openness to renewable energy technologies at the county level are critical.
Renewable energies proved a hot topic when the forum was opened to the public. Several citizens commended SMECO’s leadership in reducing energy consumption and lowering costly rates for customers. From the audience, Commissioner Larry Jarboe recognized many SMC residents for their efforts towards conservation and implementation of alternative energy technologies. He said, “Energy is a non-partisan issue.”
County commissioner candidate, Rich Johnson said he expects his personal wind energy system to be operational within two months, but told the panel he ran into several delays and frustrations in the process to get it approved.
Delegate John Bohanan also spoke, giving kudos to St. Mary’s for Evergreen Elementary, which he called, “the be
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