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Montgomery County is an Energy Smart Community

Montgomery County and the Montgomery County Farm Bureau were designated by Gov. Bob Taft as one of Governor’s 2002 Energy Smart Communities.

In the past several months the Ohio and Montgomery County Farm Bureaus have been working with Matthew Heck, Montgomery County prosecutor; the Energy Efficiency Working Group; and the Dayton Power and Light Company (DP&L) to implement an Energy Efficiency and Technical Development Program for farmers and rural residents in Montgomery County.

This program provides an opportunity for Ohioans to commit to energy efficiency through local initiatives. The Montgomery County project will gather specific electric use information through a system called load profiling, which entails placing metering equipment on farms. Electrical engineers will work with farmers to examine machinery and facilities, identify energy use patterns and devise strategies to reduce electricity costs.

Another component of the program will help farmers create a cooperative self-help group geared at buying more energy-efficient products and replacement parts, further reducing electric cost. Beyond the farms in the study, the information and analysis will be used to help all farmers in Montgomery County. Energy Efficiency Workshops will be created to share useful information for general residential and agribusiness use, and other specialized sessions will be created for each type of farming operation measured in the study. Initially, these workshops will be available to Montgomery County farmers but eventually will be held throughout Ohio.

"Ohio’s prosperity in the 21^st century will depend, in part, upon our ability to conserve energy and use it more efficiently," Taft said in a recent news release. "I commend the community award winners for their creative initiatives, which are helping Ohio become more energy efficient."

The winning communities’ proposals detailed energy efficiency efforts and activities in categories including residential, commercial, institutional/building, educational, industrial, new and renewable technology, transportation, agriculture, utilities and government regulation.

The governor’s office and the Ohio Department of Development (ODOD) will recognize the efforts of the Energy Smart Communities at key milestones during implementation. The ODOD Office of Energy Efficiency has designated a liaison for each Energy Smart Community.

Nine other communities in Ohio also were recognized.