The Department of Environmental Protection and the Electrotechnology Application Center at Northampton Community College are sponsoring half-day workshops this spring to help owners of small and medium-sized businesses reduce energy costs and increase profits.

Each workshop will offer business owners information on energy supply options, illustrate how to identify energy cost-saving opportunities and explain how to initiate an energy management program. Particular emphasis will be given to easily implemented, cost-effective changes for small commercial and industrial facilities.

Small businesses and homeowners should be aware that caps on electricity costs will expire in most of Pennsylvania by 2010 when electric suppliers will have to go to the competitive market for power.

The Consumer Advocate at the Public Utility Commission reported to the House Environmental Resources and Energy Committee recently that significant cost increases have occurred where caps have been removed.

Customers of the Pike County Light and Power Company saw electric rates jump 129 percent, in Delaware and New Jersey electric companies saw rates increase by 59 and 55 percent respectively.

Now is the time to think about how you can reduce your energy use and these workshops can help.

Registration for the workshops is free, and the sessions are open to the general public. Local government officials also are encouraged to attend.

The workshops will be held from 8:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on the following dates at these locations:

· April 18 at DEP’s Southeast Regional Office, 2 E. Main St., Norristown, Montgomery County.

· April 25 at ETAC (Northampton Community College), 3835 Green Pond Road, Bethlehem, Northampton County.

· May 2 at DEP’s Southcentral Regional Office, 909 Elmerton Ave., Harrisburg, Dauphin County.

· May 9 at DEP’s Southwest Regional Office, 400 Waterfront Dr., Pittsburgh, Allegheny County.

· May 11 at the North Central PA Regional Planning and Development Commission, 651 Montmorenci Road, Ridgway, Elk County.

Funding for the Energy Management Workshops is provided through a U.S. Department of Energy grant.

For more information or to request a registration form, contact DEP at 717-783-8411 or send email to Jeanne Dworetzky, DEP’s Small Business Ombudsman, at depombudsman@state.pa.us .

3/17/2006