Jul 6, 2024 By Rick Shrum 3 min read

In a recent weekly newsletter, Washington & Jefferson College’s Center for Energy Policy & Management reported on two disparate and interesting energy matters.

The first was electrifying news that came out of the U.S. Department of the Treasury: American consumers who have purchased electric vehicles this year have saved more than $1 billion.

They have done so through a tax credit discount that is included in the federal Inflation Reduction Act, which took effect on Jan. 1.

The Treasury Department said buyers hit that milestone through the purchase of more than 150,000 EVs, resulting in an annual savings of $1,750 on fuel and maintenance costs for each consumer. The department projected that over a 15-year lifespan of an EV, owners will save $18,000 to $24,000 compared with use of a comparable gas vehicle.

Incentives and funding were included in the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 for clean energy initiatives, including EVs.

Most savings on the cost of a clean vehicle are for fuel, but maintenance costs are typically 40% lower for EVs than gas-powered vehicles.

EVs are expected to make up about half of global car sales by 2035.

Coal declines

CEPM also reported that the coal industry continues to take a hit.

The U.S. Energy Information Agency said coal-fired generation comprised 14% of the PJM Interconnection region’s supply in 2023. That is a 64% dropoff from 44% in 2013, a mere decade earlier.

EIA attributes the decline to coal’s higher prices compared with other energy sources, especially natural gas. Fracking over the past two decades unleashed an abundant supply of gas in the Marcellus and Utica shales of Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Ohio.

PJM Interconnection is a regional transmission organization that coordinates movement of wholesale electricity in all or parts of 13 states and Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia are among those.

Farm markets webinar

Penn State Extension will host a webinar, “Tips from the Road: Retail Farm Market Bus Tour Highlights,” from noon to 12:30 p.m. Thursday and Aug. 6.

The Extension service said it will discuss strategies and lessons from the 2024 bus tour, which is designed to help participants boost appeal and realize success in agricultural retail.

The event is intended for farm market and agritourism owners and managers; farm and food business owners; retail food business owners and managers; and value-added food producers.

The extension’s business, entrepreneurship and economic development team will lead the webinar, focusing on strategies for boosting profitability through merchandising techniques, customer engagement tactics and product selection.

The webinar is free, but participants must register by the event date to receive the webinar link. Registrants also will receive access to the webinar recording.

For more information, visit https://extension.psu.edu/tipsfromtheroad.

Innovations in Medicine

Innovations in Medicine, community programming that Penn Highlands Mon Valley has been offering for more than 15 years, will continue in July with a program on hospitalists.

Dr. Gopi Vadlamudi, Medical Director of the Hospitalists at Penn Highlands Mon Valley, will present, “Hospitalists and Your Health Care,” at 3 p.m. July 18 in the Anthony M. Lombardi Education Center on the campus of Penn Highlands Mon Valley. A hospitalist is a doctor who provides care for inpatients during their hospitalization. Vadlamudi and Nicole Owen, PA-C, who works with the hospitalists, will discuss the role of the hospitalist team in patient care.

Refreshments will be served and giveaway items will be shared. Parking is free.

To register or be added to a mailing list for advance notice of upcoming programming, contact the Penn Highlands Mon Valley Auxiliary at 724-258-1234 or auxemail@monvalleyhospital.com.