Green Power Group Works To Develop Green Energy So
Washington, DC, Sept. 19--The World Resources Institute (WRI) and the 12 members of its Green Power Market Development Group today announced 97 megawatts (MW) of groundbreaking green power deals. The purchases include the largest corporate fuel cell and renewable energy certificate deals in the U.S.
The Green Power Group is a commercial and industrial partnership dedicated to building corporate markets for green power. Its members are Alcoa Inc, Cargill Dow LLC, Delphi Corporation, The Dow Chemical Company, DuPont, General Motors, IBM, Interface, Johnson & Johnson, Kinko’s, Pitney Bowes, and Staples.
“The Green Power Group is beginning to make green power markets work for corporate buyers,” said Charles O. Holliday, Jr., DuPont chairman and CEO. “WRI has helped us find cost effective green power and proven that the marketplace has products to meet corporate energy and environmental goals.”
The 97 MW announced today, enough to power 73,000 homes, represent purchases made in the past year by 250 facilities in 22 states and the District of Columbia. This brings the total amount purchased by The Green Power Group to 112 MW since it started identifying green power options in 2001.
The purchases announced today include a wide variety of green power technologies and products to match corporate interests. From on-site solar power and landfill gas to electricity from wind farms, the projects offer the companies the best economic and environmental value. The 97 MW announced today include the following purchases:
Renewable energy certificates: Members of The Green Power Group purchased 36 MW of renewable energy certificates (RECs) from wind, biomass, and landfill gas resources. This is the largest corporate purchase of RECs in the US. RECs represent the amount of pollution avoided when electricity is generated by renewable resources instead of by fossil fuels. DuPont and Staples were joined in this purchase by Alcoa, Cargill Dow, Delphi Corporation, Interface, Johnson & Johnson, Kinko’s, Pitney Bowes, and the World Resources Institute.
Hydrogen fuel cells: Dow Chemical is purchasing 35 MW of hydrogen fuel cells from General Motors. This is the largest corporate fuel cell purchase in the world.
Wind: Johnson & Johnson is now one of the largest corporate users of wind power in the U.S., purchasing 11 MW of wind in Texas and the East Coast. Kinko’s and IBM increased their use of wind power by 4 MW over the past year.
Landfill gas: Interface and General Motors will be using landfill gas as a green energy source at several manufacturing facilities.
Other renewables: Kinko’s is using electricity generated from biomass in Pennsylvania and from geothermal resources in California. Johnson & Johnson has expanded its on-site solar photovoltaic panel installations and is purchasing small-scale hydropower.
“We joined this partnership in 2003 to help us diversify our energy purchasing,” said William S. (Bill) Stavropoulos, president and chief executive officer of Dow Chemical. “By working together, these twelve businesses can have a tremendous impact on supporting and developing renewable energy markets.”
Green power can present an opportunity for companies to lower their exposure to fluctuating fossil fuel prices. On-site projects like fuel cells or solar power can help companies protect themselves against grid disruptions. In addition, purchasing green power reduces the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of business activities.
“From hydrogen fuel cells to solar panels on rooftops, new green power products are emerging for corporate markets,” said Jonathan Lash, president of the World Resources Institute. “These purchases help bring down prices, reduce pollution, and build a robust market to deliver a clean energy future.”
Convened by the World Resources Institute and Business for Social Responsibility in 2000, The Green Power Group’s goal is to create 1,000 megawatts of new cost-competitive green power for corporate markets by 2010.
For more information on each company’s purchases, suppliers, and projects please visit www.thegreenpowergroup.org.
