Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum New Exhibit to Teach Consumers  How to Conserve & $ave Energy

How much energy do we use? Where does energy come from, and how can we better conserve it? These and many other topics are part of a new exhibit titled Energy Past & Present: Creating, Consuming & Conserving, opening at the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. The announcement was made today by Joseph Garrera, Executive Director of the Museum.

"Energy is the most misunderstood subject in America. Most people do not even understand the basic measurement of electrical energy known as the kilowatt," said Garrera. "They do not even realize how simple it is to substantially reduce energy consumption," he added.

Photo Caption: The Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum, which saved $38,965 on its utility bills last year, will host a new exhibit about energy and conservation.

The Museum's new exhibit will help consumers to understand the role of energy in their lives. According to Garrera, the exhibit is designed to show how simple it is to reduce energy use at home. Simple adjustments to everything from lights to appliances offer practical opportunities for consumers to cash in on savings that are real and meaningful.

Museum officials contend that the exhibit's message is vital because the public-and not government or utility companies-holds the power to reduce energy consumption in America. They point to their own example. In the last fiscal year, the Heritage Museum reduced its utility expense by $38,965, an annual savings of nearly 40 percent.

"We took basic ideas available to all consumers and rolled them into a huge savings for our organization," said Garrera. "Without mechanical modifications or upgrades, we simply followed energy conservation tips - provided by our electricity delivery company, PPL Electric Utilities - for reducing consumption and moderating our power use," Garrera added. Museum officials say they contacted PPL Electric Utilities as they sought strategies to reduce their electricity use. "PPL's response was terrific. Their Web site was our silent tutor, and we took their suggestions to heart," said Garrera. "Our museum has now reduced our overall energy bill by $50,000 from where it was three years ago."

PPL Electric Utilities is the exhibit sponsor. "It's vital that we continue to spread the word about the importance of energy efficiency and conservation," said Dave DeCampli, president of PPL Electric Utilities. "We are very excited to be involved in this unique exhibit, which allows us to partner with a Lehigh Valley leader in bringing history to life."

"This exhibit provides an excellent opportunity for the people of the Lehigh Valley to learn more about wise energy use," said DeCampli. The sponsorship is part of PPL Electric Utilities' E-power initiative, providing customers with tools, information and incentives to use energy more efficiently and reduce their carbon footprint. E-power offers a suite of comprehensive programs for residential, business and institutional electricity users. As they tour the exhibit, PPL Electric Utilities customers will have the opportunity to use the Energy Analyzer, which will provide them with customized ways to save energy in their homes.

"Our problems with energy have much to do with energy illiteracy," said Garrera. "We want this exhibit to help the public learn how to implement some of the same energy savings we have experienced over the past few years." To help the public better understand energy, the Museum has assembled an array of simple, easy to understand interactive activities that engage and teach visitors. Visitors to the exhibit will see a basic "power grid" that covers an entire gallery wall. They can even enhance their knowledge as they assemble a pie chart that details energy use in the home or another chart that illustrates what commodities are used to make electricity, such as oil, nuclear, coal, hydro and wind.

The Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum is a teaching institution that attracts a diverse audience. Its collections of historical Americana include over 30,000 objects, 3 million documents and more than 70,000 vintage photographs. Regular Museum hours are 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m. Sunday. Energy Past & Present: Creating, Consuming, & Conserving opens Saturday, February 13th at 1:00 p.m. Regular Museum admission, which includes the exhibit and all opening activities, is $6.00 for adults and $3.00 for children; members are free. The Museum is located at 432 W. Walnut Street in Allentown. Parking is available in the rear of the Museum or on the street. For more information contact Joseph Garrera, Executive Director, at 610-435-1074, Ext. 19.

PPL Electric Utilities, a subsidiary of PPL Corporation, delivers safe and reliable electricity to its 1.4 million customers in Pennsylvania. To learn more about the company's energy efficiency E-power initiative and how it will give you the power to make a difference, visit www.pplelectric.com/e-power

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