CEC offers workshop on energy savings

Central Electric Cooperative (CEC) is inviting its Sisters commercial and light industrial customers to attend a June 30 breakfast workshop to learn how to save energy and money.

The workshop will take place from 8 to 10 a.m. at Sisters Fire Hall, 301 S. Elm St., and includes a free breakfast.

The Bonneville Power Administration selected CEC to conduct a six-month, $100,000 pilot project in the Sisters area to test incentives to stimulate commercial customers to reduce energy use.

CEC Member Services Director Alan Guggenheim said, "We selected Sisters because that is where we have the greatest density of commercial accounts. The pilot project is a great opportunity to expose approximately 300 commercial accounts to energy-efficient lighting."

The classification includes businesses, schools, churches and government agencies, he added.

Bill Willitts, developer of FivePine Lodge & Conference Center, said he must have been the first person to sign up for the workshop. Even though the facility has been open only two years and was built to be "green," he expects an energy audit will reveal "lots of room to improve."

He encourages local businesses to participate to save energy and the environment.

"(Electric) meters might slow a bit in the next few months. That would be a good thing," he said.

CEC has hired two experts on commercial lighting to conduct the workshop. After the workshop, the experts will conduct free energy audits. They will recommend what steps should be taken to reduce energy consumption and an approved contractor to perform the work.

Commercial accounts will be eligible for cash rebates based on how much power is saved. The rebate can amount to 70 percent of the installation costs. Participants may also be eligible for a 35 percent Business Energy Tax Credit through the Oregon Department of Energy.

Guggenheim said the most common way for commercial accounts to save energy is to replace inefficient four-foot fluorescent tube systems. He said CEC has a good energy conservation performance record. The electric co-op, formed in 1940 to bring low-cost energy to its customers, achieved its target for energy efficiency three years before a September 30, 2009 deadline.

"To be the only electric cooperative asked by BPA to participate in this important pilot project is a credit to our energy staff," he said.

He noted that reducing energy use will decrease BPA's need for new, costly power sources. To make a reservation, call CEC at 549-5658 or sign up at the office at 352 E. Hood Ave. Seating is limited and registration is suggested. The Sisters Area Chamber of Commerce is a partner with CEC and has been working to inform local businesses about the workshop.