Jul 12 - Providence Journal

The state Energy Office is offering cash incentives to small businesses that put in place certain energy-conservation measures.

The agency's Greenhouse Gas Reduction Incentive Program distributes money to small commercial and industrial businesses that buy and install high-efficiency heating equipment.

The incentives range from $75 for a standalone thermostat to $4,000 for a furnace or a boiler.

The incentives apply to equipment that is purchased and installed this year, said Patrick F. Condon, special projects coordinator at the Energy Office.

As of early June, the program had distributed about $20,000 to 11 small businesses; it has about $280,000 remaining. The money comes mainly from the U.S. Department of Energy, said Condon and Carol Sprague, senior resource specialist at the state Energy Office.

For a small business to qualify under the program's rules, its electricity demand must average 200 kilowatts or less a month, Condon said.

The Energy Office administers a number of other conservation programs, including one that offers rebates and incentives to help homeowners and businesses pay for solar energy projects.

Before embarking on a project in which rebates or cash incentives may be available, consumers should read the rules outlined on the appropriate application to ensure the project will qualify, Condon said. Energy Office personnel are also available to explain details.

More information is available by calling the state Energy Office at (401) 222-3370, or by clicking on Programs from the home page of the agency's Web site at www.riseo.ri.gov

-----

To see more of the The Providence Journal, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.projo.com .

Copyright (c) 2005, The Providence Journal, R.I.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For information on republishing this content, contact us at (800) 661-2511 (U.S.), (213) 237-4914 (worldwide), fax (213) 237-6515, or e-mail reprints@krtinfo.com