Gardner/Fox Partner Mark Pennington attended the  Green Energy Forum  hosted by State Rep. Greg Vitali on June 11, 2009.  The forum highlighted the  new state energy programs offering financial assistance for energy efficiency and green-energy upgrades and building projects.

The forum gave an overview of several state programs designed to help homeowners implement green technology into their homes and small businesses:

The Pennsylvania Sunshine Solar Program offers rebates to homeowners and small businesses on a portion of the cost of purchasing and installing solar electric and hot water systems in their homes and businesses.

The Keystone HELP Program offers rebates and low-cost financing for residential energy-efficiency projects and whole-house improvements.

The High Performance Green Building Program offers grants and loans to families and businesses constructing or renovating buildings that meet certain energy-efficiency and sustainability standards.

For more information on any of these programs, visit DEP’s Web site — www.depweb.state.pa.us/energyindependent— and click on “Funding” on the left side of the page.  Representative Vitali, a big supporter of the state’s green initiatives also has information on his website, http://www.pahouse.com/Vitali/index.asp .