Sen. Lugar to discuss energy security and celebrate Putnam RISE results Friday

Tuesday, May 31, 2011

U.S. Sen. Richard G. Lugar (R-Ind.), the longest serving member of Congress in Indiana history, will visit Putnam County on Friday.

The former chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee and current Republican leader of the Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Lugar will discuss energy security and join Greencastle Mayor Sue Murray in celebrating Putnam RISE Energy Challenge results at 11:15 a.m. in the Inn at DePauw. The event is open to the public.

Believing energy impacts many aspects of life in the United States, Lugar has drafted numerous pieces of energy legislation and created the Lugar Energy Initiative to raise awareness of energy's importance to national security, the environment and the economy. The Lugar Energy Initiative emphasizes energy efficiency in particular, including the reduction of home electricity bills.

"With so many local people making an effort through Putnam RISE to save energy and dollars in their schools and homes this year, we are proud to welcome Sen. Lugar in celebrating outcomes that are important not only to our community, but to our global community as well," Murray said. "What continues to be most inspiring is that many of these efforts are led by our youngest community members, our students."

The Friday event will begin with Murray and Lugar recognizing winners of the Putnam RISE Energy Challenge, through which students, teachers and staff competed for the greatest energy conservation achievement in school buildings during the months of March and April.

The senator and mayor will also recognize current leaders of the second and continuing part of the Energy Challenge, involving entire school corporation communities in competition through Dec. 1 to secure the highest rate of Home Energy Savings Pledges per student. Following those presentations, Sen. Lugar will discuss energy security and take questions from the audience.

Since the Feb. 1 Putnam RISE launch, 1,313 Putnam County households (11 percent of all county households) have completed Energy Savings Pledges. The pledge enables residents to choose from a menu of home energy conservation steps created in cooperation with local utility companies and home energy efficiency-related businesses.

The Putnam RISE project includes -- in addition to the Energy Challenge and Home Energy Savings Pledge -- the weatherization of 21 low-income homes including a Green Home Makeover, the training and certification for Coatesville resident Todd Staples to provide 100 home energy audits at no cost to participating home owners, and support for a Buy Local campaign encouraging local purchases of energy-efficiency products.

Led by the City of Greencastle, Putnam RISE (Renewal, Investment, Savings and Efficiency) is a 2011 partnership promoting energy efficiency savings and investments in schools, homes and businesses throughout Putnam County. It is made possible by grants from the Putnam County Community Foundation and Vectren Foundation.

More Putnam RISE information is available at www.putnamrise.org.

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  • Please follow this story because of the students that will be participating in the event as well.

    -- Posted by motherthatwantswhatbest on Tue, May 31, 2011, at 3:10 PM
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