Pennsylvania Small Business Development Centers Recognized by US EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson

Pennsylvania SBDC Environmental Management Assistance Program One of Three Nationwide Winners of a 2007 ENERGY STAR Small Business Network Special Award

PHILADELPHIA (September 13) —US Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Stephen L. Johnson named the Pennsylvania Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) a 2007 ENERGY STAR Small Business Network Special Award winner. “I applaud [the Pennsylvania SBDC] for demonstrating the environmental and financial rewards of going green,” said Johnson when announcing the awards yesterday.

The award recognizes the Pennsylvania SBDC’s Environmental Management Assistance Program (EMAP) for its success in helping small businesses across Pennsylvania to improve their energy efficiency and highlights the program’s commitment to energy savings.

“When looking for energy solutions and preparing for the electricity price cap expirations coming soon in most of Pennsylvania, improving efficiency needs to be at the top of everyone’s list,” said Christopher Lynch, Director of the SBDC’s Environmental Management Assistance Program. “Small business energy efficiency offers the greatest potential for immediately reducing consumption and related climate change emissions. The technologies already exist, can be implemented quickly and can add to a firm’s bottom line—in fact, cost savings of 20-30 percent are realistic.”

Joining the Pennsylvania SBDC Environmental Management Assistance Program in receiving an award this year was Central PA Settlement, LLC, a client of the program located in Bedford, Pa. Central PA Settlement was recognized as one of eight nationwide 2007 winners in the small business award category. The award follows a record of success over the past two years for EMAP in which seven clients received ENERGY STAR Small Business Awards and two received the Pennsylvania Governor’s Award for Environmental Excellence.

Earlier this year, US Senator John Kerry praised the Pennsylvania SBDC Environmental Management Assistance Program as a national model when he introduced legislation to assist small businesses in becoming more energy efficient in his role as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. “This program should be replicated so that small businesses across the country have the same opportunity to cut energy costs through the efficiency measures,” said Kerry.

ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the US Environmental Protection Agency and the US Department of Energy designed to save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices.

ENERGY STAR 2007 Small Business Winners: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=sb_success.sb_winners
US Environmental Protection Agency: http://www.epa.gov
US Department of Energy: http://www.energy.gov