Potomac Edison Energy Efficiency Summit - Customers | Connections | Energy Solutions

PBJ Tech Hub had the opportunity to participate in the Potomac Edison Energy Efficiency Summit which is attended by customers, solutions providers, utility account managers and utility team leadership as well as building operators training providers.  A great day engaging with participants, listening to real world energy efficiency success stories and a fireside chat that capped off the event and laid the groundwork for what’s next. Special shoutout to Kroy Taughinbaugh for organizing such an amazing event. Well done to the entire team!

Executive Overview - The 2026 Potomac Edison Energy Efficiency Summit, held October 1 at the Cortland Mansion in Hagerstown, Maryland, brought together commercial and industrial energy professionals, facility representatives, technology providers, utility account managers and leadership teams, and energy efficiency experts to explore practical strategies for reducing energy costs, improving facility performance and advancing sustainability.

Now in its third year, the Summit featured presentations, customer success stories, technology demonstrations and opportunities to connect with energy-efficiency solution providers through the event’s Vendor Village. 

Key topics included decarbonization trends and energy cost saving technologies & strategic energy planning, real-world energy efficiency partnerships and implementation, improving manufacturing efficiency, virtual commissioning and Maryland’s energy and clean energy priorities.

Practical, cost-effective solutions were an important part of the program. Presentations highlighted sustainability efforts at Volvo Group Trucks Operations, energy saving partnerships involving the Washington County Board of Education, manufacturing efficiency at Maryland Paper Company, virtual commissioning applications, and energy-efficiency projects at Peake ReLeaf. 

The Summit also connected attendees with vendors providing lighting, electrical, HVAC, controls, energy-management and other efficiency solutions. PBJ Tech Hub, an approved Potomac Edison Building Operator Training provider, was among the participating Vendor Village exhibitors.   According to Patty Thumann, Managing Partner of PBJ, "Potomac Edison customers have the unique opportunity to take advantage of both energy efficiency rebates & incentives for retrofit, as well as the ability to up-skill their energy & facility teams by having them participate in many energy, buildings and facilities continuing educational courses offered under the building operator training program.  Many trainings are free to the end user or offered at significant discounted rate."

A central theme of the event was that energy efficiency is not simply an environmental or a secondary initiative—it is a core business strategy to remain competitive in today's global marketplace. Improving equipment performance, optimizing building systems, reducing energy consumption and taking advantage of available incentives can help organizations lower operating costs while supporting their sustainability goals.

The Summit highlighted Potomac Edison’s Energy Solutions for Business Program, which provides commercial and industrial customers with energy advisors, incentives and technical support for qualifying energy-efficiency projects.

Key Takeaways

The 2026 Summit demonstrated that businesses don’t have to choose between energy savings, operational performance and sustainability. With the right technologies, expertise, employee training, incentives and implementation strategies, energy efficiency can deliver measurable financial and environmental benefits.

For today’s facility and energy professionals, the message is clear: energy efficiency is becoming an increasingly important part of managing costs, improving performance and preparing facilities for the future.

Overview of program:

The Vendor Village consisted of a cross-section of energy technology solution providers and building operator training providers:

1. CN Robinson Lighting
2. Capital Electric Supply
3. Willdan Energy Solutions
4. Energy Select
5. Cummins-Wagner
6. Aircon Engineering
7. kW Efficiency, LLC
8. Boland Trane
9. EGIA
10. Green Home MD, LLC
11. Pennsylvania College of Technology
12. Ecomize
13. Cenergetix
14. PBJ Tech Hub

The event was structured to be fast paced and engaging.  Attendees had the opportunity to network with their industry peers, learn about incentives and grands, as well as connect with vendors in the vendor village for project implementation.