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V O L . X X X N O. I V F E B R UA R Y 1 9 , 2 0 2 4 8 B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S M A I N E B U S I N E S S N E W S F RO M A RO U N D T H E S TAT E wing of the hospital will be called, construction crews are installing the last ceiling tiles and flooring, paint is being touched up, and hospital staff are set- ting up equipment. e electrical feed to the building had recently been ener- gized. "One of the most modern rural hospitals in the Northeast will be acces- sible right here in Greenville in a matter of weeks," said Marie Vienneau, the hospital's president. e new construc- tion, named after lead donor Dr. Peter Buck, will house five patient rooms with acute "swing" beds, a 24/7 emer- gency department and imaging and lab services. A new, separate ambulance station and a federally approved helipad are now in operation. Buck, who was co-founder of the Subway sandwich chain, was born in South Portland, went to Bowdoin College and had longtime ties to the Moosehead area. He died in November 2021. N O T E W O R T H Y C E N T R A L & W E S T E R N Thomas College in Waterville an- nounced a physical/health education K-12 undergraduate degree through its Peter and Paula Lunder School of Education to prepare preservice teachers. Identifying Energy Solutions 1-800-564-0111 | eatonpeabody.com Augusta | Bangor | Ellsworth | Portland Eaton Peabody's Energy Industry Group combines the resources of a multi-disciplinary team of professionals to address our clients' diverse business needs in the State of Maine. Our Energy attorneys represent a broad range of clients including grid operators, commercial and industrial energy consumers, financial institutions, independent power producers, municipalities, and utility companies. Our experience in energy law extends to the development, financing, Our experience in energy law extends to the development, financing, construction, operation, acquisition, and legislative lobbying aspects of electric power, as well as to the production, sale, purchase, distribution and transportation of natural gas, and related financing, legislation, litigation, and regulation. Eaton Peabody's Energy Industry Group welcomes the opportunity to Eaton Peabody's Energy Industry Group welcomes the opportunity to discuss your energy project or business and community needs, and how we may be of service. A S K AC E A n s w e r e d b y S a m M i l t o n , C l i m a t e R e s o u r c e s G r o u p The Association for Consulting Expertise (ACE) is a nonprofit association of independent consultants who value "Success through Collaboration." The public is welcome to attend its regular meetings to share best practices and engage with industry experts. For more information go to www.consultexpertise.com. Q: Energy bills are a large portion of my company's operating expenses and carbon footprint. What environmentally responsible energy strategies can we use to reduce costs and become more profitable? ACE advises: Here are four ideas: 1. Track energy-use data and optimize: The largest energy use reductions usually involve replacing old equipment, but even a simple and thorough energy performance evaluation will yield actionable insights for significant cost savings. If you have a decent energy management system in your building, you should be able to mine it for meaningful data. If not, ask your utility for information about programs you can take advantage of to capture more data related to your building's energy consumption. 2. Use technological innovations: Prices for advanced energy- efficient equipment have never been lower. Lighting and HVAC manufacturers are constantly innovating to help their custom- ers lower their energy usage while offering productivity gains. 3. Take advantage of savings incentives: Most Maine busi- nesses can tap incentives offered by Efficiency Maine to upgrade and install energy-efficient equipment. Further, state and fed- eral tax benefits can also reduce the effective up-front cost of using cleantech and efficiency to reduce their energy costs. The only catch is that these lucrative incentive programs are not going to be around forever. 4. Question your bill: Finally, double-check your energy bills to see if you are on the correct rate class for your business type and load. If your utility has made a mistake, demand a fix and ask for a refund for past overcharges. Don't forget that most Maine businesses can sign up with a competitive energy supplier that may offer a better rate than the utility's default. Negotiate your way to a lower bill, even if you can't reduce your consumption. Sam Milton is the owner of Climate Resources Group, a Maine-based company that connects businesses with financial incentives to afford clean energy and energy efficiency in their operations. Learn more at ClimateResourcesGroup.com, and you can reach Sam at Sam@ClimateResourcesGroup.com

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