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Biz notebook

By Rick Shrum for The Observer-Reporter rshrum@observer-Reporter.Com 6 min read

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Chamber

(Canonsburg, PA) – The Washington County Chamber of Commerce released its Washington Forward agenda today as a collaborative policy roadmap designed to underscore the ongoing significance of economic, workforce, and community development priorities in Washington County. As the largest chamber in Southwestern Pennsylvania-representing nearly 1,200 businesses across various sectors-The Chamber intends to advance a unified agenda for county-wide growth and progress through Washington Forward.

Washington Forward will serve as a strategic guide – reflecting the diverse industries that constitute the Chamber’s membership and county business community. With The Chamber’s history of advocating for county-wide growth and economic impact, the Washington Forward agenda is a blueprint for achieving enduring prosperity for both present and future generations. The policy agenda outlines four key areas that have provided Washington County with competitive advantages among its peer counties over the last two decades and builds on these areas for future growth. The four areas of focus are – (1) Maintaining a Diverse Economy, (2) Sufficient Industrial and Commercial Sites, (3) Growing the Population, and (4) Effective Governance and Collaboration. The full Washington Forward policy document is attached to this press release and provides additional details on these four main areas, highlighting the critical facets that have contributed to Washington County’s economic leadership and suggested actions to maintain and grow these positions. By exploring these themes and promoting actionable measures, the Chamber aims to ensure that Washington County maintains its leadership position in the region and state.

In addition, Washington Forward offers a business-focused direction for both incumbent and aspiring officials. With upcoming change inevitable at the Washington County Board of Commissioners and state elections coming up in 2024, The Chamber believes it is imperative for both the business community to understand elected leaders’ positions on local growth issues and that our elected leaders know what is important to the businesses and industries in the county. With this collaborative approach, The Chamber’s goal is to ensure that Washington County remains a place of opportunity for current and future residents.

Jeff Kotula, President of the Washington County Chamber of Commerce offered the following statement on the Washington Forward policy agenda, “Through conversation and collaboration with our board and member businesses for the past several months, we have recognized that there was not a unified message from the business community to communicate issues of local and county-wide growth to our elected leaders and those who seek to hold elected offices representing Washington County.” Mr. Kotula further relayed, “With The Chamber’s long-standing partnership with the County of Washington and our history of business advocacy, we wanted to provide direction to our elected leaders for our county’s future growth. By listening to our members and gaining their insight on what they need locally to succeed, we can focus on topics that are vitally important in our own backyard. Washington Forward provides a straightforward, yet concise plan to highlight areas of continued importance to the business community and provide direction to our elected leaders as they consider policies and actions that might affect the businesses of Washington County.”

In addition to the Washington Forward policy agenda, a candidate questionnaire is being developed to provide candidates running for the Washington County Board of Commissioners an opportunity to weigh in with their positions related to these topics. The completed questionnaires will be available to chamber members and will provide candidates with an opportunity to communicate directly to the Chamber membership. The Chamber will also be hosting a candidates’ forum in October and will invite commissioner candidates to speak directly to the chamber membership.

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CEPM webinar

CEPM to Present “Clean Hydropower from the Three Rivers” webinar

The Washington & Jefferson College Center for Energy Policy and Management will host a free Sept. 27 webinar on hydropower as part of its Energy Lecture Series.

“Clean Hydropower from the Three Rivers” will be the subject of a free, hour-long webinar at 11 a.m. Sept. 27. It will be presented by Michael Rooney, vice president of project management for Rye Development, a leading developer of new low-impact hydropower energy generation and energy storage in the United States.

Hydropower is one of the oldest and largest sources of renewable energy, which uses the natural flow of moving water to spin a propeller-style blades that then spin a generator, creating electricity. Hydropower currently accounts for 28.7% of total U.S. renewable electricity generation and about 6.2% of total U.S. electricity generation.

Rye Development, a Florida-based developer of hydropower projects, has plans to modernize existing dams along the Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio rivers that are used for navigation to add power-generating capabilities, with the clean power then sold to customers that include Allegheny County, the University of Pittsburgh, and most recently a leading national data-storage company. It plans to invest nearly $1 billion in the region over the next decade for a total of 10 projects.

Hydropower is an around-the-clock, carbon-free, renewable energy source, and it qualifies for renewable energy tax credits.

Rye Development also has several closed loop pumped storage projects in other areas of the country. Closed loop pump storage relies on the construction of two reservoirs – a lower one and an elevated one – that recirculate water. Water is pumped into the upper reservoir using renewable energy when wind and solar systems are producing more electricity than is needed, and then released into the lower reservoir through a generator to provide electricity during times of peak demand.

Rooney will explain the concepts of hydropower and pumped storage and provide details of the company’s plans to deploy hydropower in this region. Rooney has a successful track record of stakeholder engagement, public policy analysis, and project management. Before joining Rye as vice president of project management, Rooney spent 10 years in the nonprofit and higher education sectors, focusing on issues ranging from international development to environmental education. Most recently, he managed a diverse grant making portfolio for the Hillman Family Foundations which included leading the foundation’s energy and environment grant portfolio. Michael holds a Master of Public and International Affairs from the University of Pittsburgh.

The webinar is free and open to the public. To register, visit wjenergy.org or https://www.eventbrite.com/e/clean-hydropower-from-the-three-rivers-tickets-710274529237?aff=oddtdtcreator. The seminar is approved for Continuing Legal Education in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio. Contact the Washington County Bar Association at wcba@washcobar.org for information.

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