U.S. Businesses Purchase Record Amount of Renewable Energy in 2008
Green-e Marketplace participants purchase 2.8 million MWh
of certified renewable energy, led by Intel, PepsiCo
Contact
Jeff Swenerton
CRS Communications Director
415-561-2119
jeff@resource-solutions.orgSAN FRANCISCO, CA (January 27, 2009)—2008 saw record voluntary purchases of Green-e® Energy Certified renewable energy by businesses in the Green-e Marketplace program, announced Center for Resource Solutions (CRS). These purchases were led by Intel Corp, PepsiCo, and Mohawk Paper. Intel made the largest purchase of renewable energy in history, with a 1.3 million megawatt-hour (MWh) purchase in January. PepsiCo was the second-biggest purchaser.
The growth in the overall voluntary market for renewable energy has been driven by large commercial purchases of renewable energy certificates (RECs), which represent electricity produced from clean, naturally renewable resources like wind, solar, geothermal, and biomass. Green power sales increased over 50% in 2007 over the previous year overall, with REC sales up 55%, according to the Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
“Buying renewable energy for nearly 50% of our U.S. operations was an important element of our continuing, multifaceted efforts to support clean energy and the environment, which includes conservation, pilot solar installations and renewable electric supplies” said Marty Sedler, Director of Global Utilities and Infrastructure at Intel. “It is critical that all purchases are certified and validated by a respected, independent certification program like Green-e to ensure the highest quality and integrity of our actions.”
The third-party nonprofit certification program Green-e Energy certified 69% of the overall voluntary renewable energy market in 2007, and companies that buy a qualifying amount of certified renewable energy are eligible to join Green-e Marketplace and display the logo. These organizations voluntarily support energy generated from renewable sources, which displace other non-renewable sources from the electric grid. Total purchases by Green-e Marketplace participants exceeded 2.8 million MWh in 2008. Organizations that joined the program in 2008 include Avatar New York, Beaulieu Commercial, Becton Dickinson Infusion Therapy Systems, Inc., Cascades Tissue Group, Hall Street Storage, Intel Corporation, K-1 Packaging Group, Marian Heath Greeting Cards, Millipore Corporation, The Philadelphia Phillies, Solberg Manufacturing, and Unboundary.
“Our purchase of Green-e Certified RECs further advances our commitment to sustainability and helps make a positive impact in the communities we serve across the country,” said Maria DeLorenzo, PepsiCo Sustainability Communications. “Our three-year purchase of more than one million MWh annually is the same amount of electricity needed to power nearly 90,000 average American homes annually, as estimated by the U.S. EPA based on national averages. This financial instrument stimulates and supports the development of renewable electricity, and our investment matches the purchased electricity used by all of PepsiCo’s U.S.-based manufacturing facilities, headquarters, distribution centers, and regional offices.”
The renewable energy market depends on the growing demand from large commercial purchases. NREL reported in the latest edition of its annual Green Power Marketing in the United States, a Status Report that purchases like these account for over half of green power market sales. “Green power purchases by commercial customers are one of the main drivers of growth in this market,” said Barry Friedman, co-author of the report.
About Green-e Marketplace
Green-e Marketplace provides forward-thinking organizations with a simple, nationally recognized tool they can use to communicate their commitment to renewable energy to their customers and shareholders. The Green-e logo is the nation’s leading symbol of renewable energy excellence and distinguishes Green-e Marketplace participants as environmental leaders. Companies such as PepsiCo, Santa Cruz Organics, and Lundberg Family Farms display the logo on products that are manufactured with renewable energy—educating millions of consumers about the value of renewable energy. To learn more about Green-e Marketplace, visit www.green-e.org/marketplace.About Center for Resource Solutions
Green-e is a program of Center for Resource Solutions (CRS), a San Francisco-based nonprofit with a global impact. CRS brings forth expert responses to pertinent climate change issues with the speed and effectiveness necessary to provide real-time solutions to ongoing environmental problems. CRS’s leadership through collaboration and environmental innovation builds policies and consumer protection mechanisms that foster healthy and sustained growth in national and international markets for environmental solutions to climate change including renewable energy and energy efficiency. To learn more, visit www.resource-solutions.org.
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