BPL Global Supports PA Energy Independence Strategy

Energy-Efficient Technologies Save Money and Environment

I read with great interest your story “Well-spent energy: Gov. Rendell talks up a progressive plan” (Sept. 26). As the CEO of BPL Global, a green technology company, I enthusiastically support Governor Rendell’s Energy Independence Strategy and the Post-Gazette’s endorsement of that plan.

Rendell’s proposed program aims to achieve a 3 percent to 5 percent reduction in energy consumption during peak hours of the day when the power grid is over stressed. It is estimated that the initiative could save Pennsylvanians $230 million per year if the right energy efficient technologies are implemented.

New demand management technology can play an important role in achieving these goals. For residents of Pennsylvania, doing their part to reduce energy consumption can be as simple as installing a demand management sensor on their air conditioner in order to curtail energy usage during the hottest days of the year. It is not inconceivable that implementing a sensor technology could avoid the need to build a huge power plant emitting harmful greenhouse gases near our neighborhood to better shoulder the load of an overtaxed power grid.

State government has a vital role in setting goals and providing incentives that accelerate the use of green, energy efficient technologies. This needs to be a bipartisan issue, as it benefits everyone on both sides of the aisle to implement programs that will save energy, save money, and, ultimately, save the environment.

Keith Schaefer
CEO
BPL Global

Published by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Letter to the Editor Column - October 9, 2007