From Greg Dudkin, President, PPL Electric Utilities

Here in Pennsylvania you can shop for your electricity supply. Just like you would shop for a car, you compare different offers and choose what is right for you at the lowest cost. Then, if your home or business is part of our service territory in Eastern or Central Pennsylvania, PPL Electric Utilities (PPL) delivers the electricity to you.

Because we are delivering the electricity, we have no vested interest in which supplier you choose. But we do care whether you are paying a reasonable rate for electricity.

We’ve been monitoring the rates shopping customers pay compared to the default rate, which is the rate charged if you do not choose a supplier.

We’ve found many of our residential and small business customers are paying more for electricity through their supplier than they would have on the default rate. For customers paying more than the default rate, over a one-year period, our residential customers paid about $97 million more and small business customers paid $34 million more.

This is alarming.  The data really made me stop and take a step back. The goal of deregulation is to save customers money. And that is obviously not happening. Where did it go wrong?

One of the biggest issues I find is that suppliers have limited accountability to be transparent with customers. Deceptive marketing tactics are used to attract customers.

I am sure we all know someone – or you yourself – who received a phone call or letter claiming to provide a new and better rate. Often these solicitations are disguised as a PPL-endorsed communication, using our logo or stating that the call is about your PPL bill. You may be told that if you switch now, you can get $300 gift card rewards.

If it sounds too good to be true, it usually is. Those gift cards they offer you are often short-term discounts to mask higher rates. And the low rates they offer you are often teaser rates. They only last a short while and then they skyrocket. We refer to it as the “bait and switch.”

Suppliers are intentionally vague in hopes you won’t understand the long-term cost increase or aren’t monitoring your electric bill closely. In fact, there are over 26,000 PPL customers paying double the price of default energy.

Suppliers are arguing that residential and small business shopping customers are willingly paying $131 million more than the default rate for value-added products, like renewable energy. Even if we assume that all customers paying above the default rate are purchasing renewable energy, we still find that over 205,000 PPL residential shopping customers are paying approximately $93 million more based on our estimate of a market-based renewable rate of 1 cent per KWH above the default energy rate.

These practices are harmful and must be monitored.

Look at what happened in Texas – or, better yet, what happened here in Pennsylvania during the 2014 polar vortex. Pennsylvania customers were baited into paying variable rates – or rates that change by the hour, day or month. When the extremely cold weather hit, those customers saw price spikes.

Just like the Texans who are now saddled with thousands of dollars in utility bill balances, the same may happen again if things do not change.

So, what can be done about all of this?

I believe we must critically evaluate the current electricity retail market and put customer protections in place. We need restrictions around introductory, promotion, and teaser rates. Suppliers need to be held accountable and be transparent.

We should also reject any proposals that allow suppliers to aggregate and send a consolidated electric bill to customers directly. Giving suppliers full control over bill communication puts customers at a disadvantage and makes it more difficult for the utility companies like PPL to protect customers.

As we continue to advocate for our customers, it’s critical you continue to shop smart. Read the fine print, be aware of deceptive marketing tactics and check your electric bill regularly to see how much you are being charged.

For more information on shopping, check out pplelectric.com/shopsmart.

From The Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce: World Kinect Energy Services is the Chamber’s partner in helping members find the best solutions for their electricity, natural gas, and liquid fuels. There is no cost or obligation to get a quote, even for non-member organizations. Click here for more information.

On April 12th, Pennsylvania entered Phase 1C of the state’s vaccine rollout. This phase includes Pennsylvania state employees, federal government workers and employees of all county and local government levels.  Effective April 13th, Governor Wolf announced that all Pennsylvania adults are eligible to schedule an appointment.

Residents should continue to use the Department of Health’s Vaccine Provider Map to find a vaccine provider nearest them. The department will continue to update the map as the federal government increases the number of pharmacy chains receiving vaccine through the Federal Retail Pharmacy Partnership.

Columbia County EMA is assisting Susquehanna Valley Medical Specialties with COVID-19 vaccination appointments.

Those wishing vaccinations should call 570-389-5735 Monday through Friday only between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Provide name, date of birth, address and phone number.

Someone from Susquehanna Valley Medical Specialties will call back to schedule an appointment. The clinic expects to experience a large volume of inquiries and asks callers to allow ample time for a call back. Callers who are not contacted within 72 hours are asked to call again.

People without internet access can contact the Health Hotline by calling 1-877-PA-HEALTH (1-877-724-3258).

More than 425 businesses and organizations belong to the Chamber to receive benefits and support efforts to strengthen their businesses and the region. Increased membership allows the Chamber to offer additional programs and benefits, have a stronger voice in advocacy and be involved in more activities and initiatives. The Chamber welcomes Donald Geise & Son Construction, Inc.

Based in Danville, Donald Geise & Son Construction was founded in 1985.  They offer a variety of services including: new construction, remodeling, and custom design work.  The company is a certified green builder that incorporates green building materials and methods as a matter of standard practice. 

For more information on the Donald Geise & Son Construction Inc. visit its website, Facebook page or call 570-274-1521.

MARC Application to Montour County Zoning Hearing Board

Notice is herby given that the Zoning Hearing Board of Montour County will hold a public hearing on a request filed by MARC.

The applicant desires to secure a special exception to allow unpowered watercraft for rental to the public at the Montour Preserve and offer for rent or sell fishing, boating, and picnic supplies as deemed appropriate by MARC.  The Montour Preserve is located in Anthony Township, Montour County, and is presently zoned public/semi-public.

Interested persons should make arrangements to appear at the hearing which will be held at the Montour County Administration Building, located at 435 East Front Street, Danville, PA, on April 19th at 3:30pm.  Please note that social distancing and masks will be required.

Spring Graduation to be held in person at Redman Stadium

Bloomsburg University is thrilled to announce plans to host in-person commencement ceremonies for the Class of 2021! The ceremonies will be held outdoors (rain or shine) at Redman Stadium from May 14 to 16. Each ceremony will follow the appropriate COVID-19 safety guidelines from the CDC, the PA Department of Health, and Gov. Tom Wolf’s office.

NEPIRC to Offer Legal Aspects of COVID-19 Vaccination for Employers Webinar Part 2

Since Part 1 of this webinar aired in February, there have been many developments and updates regarding COVID-19 vaccination that have been reported. During Part 2 of this no-cost webinar series, Attorney James Devine will cover these developments in detail for small to mid-sized manufacturers. The webinar will be held on May 5th from 10:00-11:30 am.

If you have a question you’d like to ensure is covered during this event, please submit it to Chelsey@NEPIRC.com by Friday, April 23rd.  We will once again prepare a complete Q&A document after the webinar airs that will be available for download on the NEPIRC website.
Register here.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce & PA Chamber of Business & Industry strongly oppose the Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act, H.R. 842), which passed the House of Representatives in early March and is now being considered by the Senate. The bill would force employees to pay union dues regardless of whether they support a union, threaten private ballots in union elections, and strip workers of their independent contractor classification.

The PRO Act would effectively overturn right-to-work laws that have been democratically passed in 27 states.  If it becomes law, workers who choose to opt of out paying unwanted union dues could be fired. Under this legislation, independent contractors would lose flexible work arrangements and see fewer earning opportunities. It would also encourage “card check” voting where union organizers would approach individual workers and demand that they publicly sign a card in favor of the union. Additionally, employers would be stripped of fundamental legal rights, losing their standing in cases before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

“A bill cannot be ‘pro-worker’ if it harms employees, threatens job creation, and undermines our economic recovery,” said Suzanne Clark, president and CEO of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. “The PRO Act would threaten worker privacy, force employees to pay union dues or lose their jobs, and trample free speech rights. The Chamber will fight to ensure this wish list of union-sponsored priorities fails in the Senate and never becomes law.”

“The ‘PRO Act’ that unfortunately passed the U.S. House is a radical piece of legislation that would upend decades of established labor law, significantly stacking the deck in favor of unions,” said Gene Barr, president & CEO of the PA Chamber. “This bill also clearly exposes the schism between unions and workers.  Make no mistake, this legislation is anti-worker.  It weakens workers’ rights by undermining the right to a private ballot during union elections; forces employers to turn over to unions their workers’ personal contact information – including cell phone numbers and home addresses – even if an employee objects; and prevents workers from decertifying a union they grow to oppose.”

To help employers better understand the implications of this sweeping legislation, the PA Chamber will host a free webinar on Tuesday, April 13 at 11 a.m.  Presented in partnership with McNees Wallace & Nurick LLC and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the program will provide an overview of the legislation, how employers should prepare and how the business community can work together to push back against this misguided proposal.

Register for the webinar at the PA Chamber’s website.

Additional information including a link to the legislation is available at www.uschamber.com/stop-the-pro-act.

From PA Chamber of Business & Industry

As progress continues on the state’s vaccine distribution effort, the Wolf administration last week updated its mitigation order to strongly encourage, but no longer mandate, telework for businesses.  Organizations choosing to conduct in-person operations are still required to implement safety measures to help prevent the spread of the virus – including social distancing, masking and following gathering and occupancy guidelines.

In a statement announcing the order revision, Department of Community and Economic Development Secretary Dennis Davin said, “We’ve made significant progress in our battle against COVID-19, so we must continue abiding by all guidelines and orders, including masking and social distancing when out and about. The best way to support our local businesses is to create a safe environment for everyone so that we can combat the virus’s spread, which will help position us to bounce back easier and faster long term.” 

Prior to this change, telework was mandated except in circumstances where it was not possible.  The updated telework order went into effect on Sunday, April 4.  Sunday also marked the lifting of restrictions for the restaurant industry – including increasing capacity limits to 75 percent and allowing for bar seating and service.

More information on the updated orders can be found here. 

All businesses in the retail food services industry, including restaurants, wineries, breweries, private clubs, and bars, are permitted to provide take-out and delivery sales of food, as well as dine-in service in both indoor and outdoor seating areas so long as they strictly adhere to the requirements of the guidance, as required by this guidance, including:

• Alcohol can only be served for on-premises consumption.
• Take-out sales of alcohol for the purposes of off-site consumption are permitted subject to any limitations or restrictions imposed by Pennsylvania law.

This guidance applies to all restaurants, private event spaces and wedding venues with food service, licensed clubs, and bars, regardless of whether the business operates within a larger facility such as a hotel, casino, convention center, conference center or similar large venue.

Private event spaces and wedding venues which do not offer food service are not subject to this guidance, but must follow all applicable provisions of the commonwealth’s Guidance for Businesses Permitted to Operate During the COVID-19 Disaster Emergency to Ensure the Safety and Health of Employees and the Public.

No business is required to conduct in-person operations, and should not do so if the business is unable to do so in accordance with all applicable guidance.

All businesses and employees in the restaurant and retail food service industry authorized to conduct in-person activities pursuant to this guidance must follow all applicable provisions of the Guidance for Businesses Permitted to Operate During the COVID19 Disaster Emergency to Ensure the Safety and Health of Employees and the Public, including provisions requiring the establishment of protocols for execution upon discovery that the business has been exposed to a person who is a probable or confirmed case of COVID-19.

For additional details on guidance, visit here. 

Brothers Establish Scholarship Fund for Central Columbia Students

The Community Giving Foundation: Bloomsburg is pleased to announce the creation of a new scholarship fund to support Central Columbia graduating seniors. The Lynch Brothers Scholarship Fund was established by Pat and Bill Lynch, both proud graduates of Central Columbia and recipients of the school’s Social Studies Award. The brothers were able to turn their interest in social studies into rewarding and meaningful careers, and hope this scholarship opportunity will do the same for current students.

Pat Lynch turned his interests into a thriving career in education, teaching World Cultures at North Allegheny Intermediate High School near Pittsburgh for 31 years. His classes emphasized the discussion of current events and the analysis of editorial cartoons, and he created a program which allowed tenth grade students to participate in campaign work for candidates in local, state, and national offices. After participating in a Fulbright-Hayes Scholarship trip to Nigeria, Mr. Lynch started a pen pal program to allow his students to interact with Nigerian students.

Bill Lynch spent his entire professional career in public service after graduating from law school. He first served as a Senior Staff Counsel for both the Washington State Senate and House of Representatives non-partisan committee staff for over 20 years. He was appointed by two WA State Governors to the WA Environmental Hearings Office, where he served for 11 years (four years as Chairman), and later appointed by a third Governor as Chairman of the WA Energy Facility Siting Council. Mr. Lynch wrote landmark legislation in many areas in Washington State, including consumer protection, salmon recovery, housing, and labor relations. He authored numerous environmental decisions, transformed the decision writing process of the EHO, and co-authored a decision directing local governments to infiltrate stormwater into the ground to remove pollutants—a decision that was the first of its kind in the nation. Mr. Lynch has also volunteered with numerous community groups including the Thurston County Housing Authority, where he served as a board member for 20 years.

“Understanding our country’s history, the workings of the government, the achievements of our country’s many peoples and our interactions with others nations is vital to an informed citizenry and a healthy democracy,” explained the Lynch brothers. “We hope that the yearly awarding of this scholarship to the top male and female social studies students will help promote the value of becoming active, well-informed citizens.

The brothers appreciate the social studies teachers they had while at Central Columbia, complementing the school’s unique combination of social studies courses. Bill Lynch particularly credits Duane Ford as a major contributor to his success in life. The Lynch Brothers Scholarship Fund will continue to carry on a legacy of learning, something the school’s current teachers are thankful for.“At Central Columbia, we are committed to providing a diverse curriculum in social studies to all students. The scholarship that the Lynch brothers are providing honors that commitment and the students who value these opportunities. We cannot thank the Lynch brothers enough for this generous donation to Central Columbia and our students,” remarked Jason Hippenstiel, high school teacher.

Contributions can be made to the Lynch Brothers Scholarship Fund online at csgiving.org (click Donate and search “Lynch”), or mail to the Community Giving Foundation, Attn: Lynch Brothers Scholarship Fund, 725 West Front Street, Berwick PA 18603.

Bloomsburg is an affiliate of the Community Giving Foundation, which manages nearly 300 charitable funds and makes grant investments throughout the region to improve the quality of life in the Central Susquehanna area. For more information, visit csgiving.org or call the Foundation at 570-752-3930.

Geisinger partners with Acadia Healthcare to expand behavioral health services

Geisinger and Acadia Healthcare Company have formed a joint venture to address the urgent need for expanded, high-quality inpatient behavioral health services in central and northeastern Pennsylvania. As part of the joint venture, two new freestanding inpatient behavioral health facilities will be constructed in Moosic and Danville with plans to serve adult and pediatric patients beginning in 2022 and 2023 respectively.

Geisinger, which serves more than 1 million people across 45 counties in Pennsylvania, has partnered with Acadia Healthcare, the nation’s largest stand-alone behavioral healthcare company, to establish these new 96-bed, 73,000-square-foot facilities. Geisinger chose Acadia Healthcare as its partner based on their shared commitment to quality care, strong clinical outcomes, and successful track record of collaborating with numerous premier health systems. Geisinger and Acadia will be investing a combined close to $80 million into these two facilities that together are expected to create approximately 200 new jobs by 2024.

Both the Danville and Moosic locations are easily accessible from the entire central and northeastern Pennsylvania regions, and are near Geisinger hospitals in Danville, Scranton and Plains Township. Construction is scheduled to begin in Moosic in Fall 2021 and in Danville in 2022. The partnership will provide an opportunity for Geisinger to consolidate inpatient behavioral health programs from Geisinger Medical Center, Geisinger Bloomsburg Hospital and Geisinger Community Medical Center into these new facilities, which will allow an opportunity for these vacated units to be repurposed for additional capacity, including expanded private room availability.

A recently released 2020 Mental Health America Report estimates that 47 million Americans now struggle with mental health challenges, an increase of 4 million people since the 2018 report, which mirrors trends locally in central and northeastern Pennsylvania. Upon completion, the two new inpatient behavioral health facilities will address current and future demand for adult, pediatric and adolescent patients who struggle with acute symptoms of mental health disorders such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, psychosis, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). This vast array of acute behavioral health services provides a level of care previously not seen in central and northeastern Pennsylvania, especially for children and adolescents.

NEPIRC to Offer Legal Aspects of COVID-19 Vaccination for Employers Webinar Part 2

Since Part 1 of this webinar aired in February, there have been many developments and updates regarding COVID-19 vaccination that have been reported. During Part 2 of this no-cost webinar series, Attorney James Devine will cover these developments in detail for small to mid-sized manufacturers. The webinar will be held on May 5th from 10:00-11:30 am.

Webinar format:
• Presentation of COVID-19 vaccination developments and updates
•Q&A

If you have a question you’d like to ensure is covered during this event, please submit it to Chelsey@NEPIRC.com by Friday, April 23rd.  We will once again prepare a complete Q&A document after the webinar airs that will be available for download on the NEPIRC website.

Register here.

The Department of Health (DOH) in conjunction with the COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force today announced the start of the special initiative to vaccinate targeted industry workers and to accelerate the vaccination timetable for those in Phases 1B, 1C and 2. All Pennsylvanians will be eligible to schedule vaccination appointments beginning April 19.

Pennsylvania is beginning the following accelerated phased rollout:

· March 31 workers in the four targeted industries:
     Law enforcement, which includes police, sheriffs and deputies, constables, corrections officers and staff, as well as probation and parole staff.

     Firefighters, including career and volunteer firefighters.

     Grocery Store workers, including all workers in supermarkets and grocery stores.

     Food and Agriculture workers, including all food processing company employees, including meat, poultry, and dairy processing, fresh fruit and vegetable packing operations, food manufacturing, all farmworkers, farm operators, and farm managers, including at urban agriculture operations.

· April 5 all residents in Phase 1B will be eligible to start scheduling vaccination appointments.

· April 12 all residents in Phase 1C will be eligible to start scheduling vaccination appointments.

· April 19, all residents will be eligible to start scheduling vaccination appointments.

“It is important to remember that eligibility does not guarantee an immediate vaccination appointment,” Acting Health Secretary Alison Beam said. “Vaccine providers are ready and eager to get a shot in the arm of every person who wants one while we continue to aggressively advocate for more vaccine.”

Residents should continue to use the Department of Health’s Vaccine Provider Map to find a vaccine provider nearest them. The department will continue to update the map as the federal government increases the number of pharmacy chains receiving vaccine through the Federal Retail Pharmacy Partnership.

Columbia County EMA is assisting Susquehanna Valley Medical Specialties with COVID-19 vaccination appointments.

Those wishing vaccinations who fall in Phase 1A eligibility should call 570-389-5735 Monday through Friday only between the hours of 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Provide name, date of birth, address and phone number.

Someone from Susquehanna Valley Medical Specialties will call back to schedule an appointment. The clinic expects to experience a large volume of inquiries and asks callers to allow ample time for a call back. Callers who are not contacted within 72 hours are asked to call again.

People without internet access can contact the Health Hotline by calling 1-877-PA-HEALTH (1-877-724-3258).

The Town of Bloomsburg is exploring the possibility of utilizing some of its emergency funding to provide assistance to businesses negatively impacted by the pandemic. Before moving forward with developing a program, determining business needs is necessary. Funds directly assisting for-profit businesses in the Town could fund:

• Machinery, furniture, fixtures, and equipment used for business purposes related to COVID-19
• Working capital
  • Payroll
  • Rent/mortage
  • Utilities such as oil, gas, electric, water/sewer, internet, phone
  • Supplies needed for day-to-day operations up to 90 days
  • Insurance, accounting, legal services
  • Advertising
• Inventory

Businesses with needs should send their information to Jamie Shrawder at SEDA-COG at jshrawder@seda-cog.org by this Friday, April 2^nd.