Victory Brewing is in the business pages of this morning’s Philadelphia Inquirer as a prime example of astate business which is embracing Gov. Rendell’s alternative energy rebate program despite the PA Chamber of Commerce’s opposition to same:
“We’re not anti-alternative” energy, Gene Barr, vice president of government and public affairs for the chamber, said in an interview last week. “But for government to dictate, ‘Here’s the exact percent of the exact technology we want,’ that goes well beyond what we think the role of government ought to be.”
It is a position dividing the state’s business community.
“They don’t represent my opinion,” said Ron Barchet, who owns Victory Brewing Co., of Downingtown, with childhood friend Bill Covaleski.
Their company is among the hundreds taking advantage of the $100 million Pennsylvania Sunshine rebate program. Victory is having a photovoltaic system installed on its roof in April because “it’s just part of being a modern, responsible business,” Barchet said.
The $415,000, 66.6-kilowatt system is expected to offset 5 percent of the brew pub’s electricity use, reduce Victory’s monthly electric costs by $1,000 - nearly 10 percent - and pay for itself in five years, Barchet said. The state says 35 percent of the nearly $8 million in pending claims for solar rebates are from small businesses.
While generally “pretty much a small-government guy,” Barchet said, he supports the idea of Pennsylvania offering such financial incentives and mandating more use of renewable energy “to spur” the development of such energy sources and related industries.
“It’s a jump-start,” he said.
It’s getting so we expect one or two major plant upgrades or expansions in Downingtown every year and this is an admirable one.
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