100 Percent Green Energy Reduces WRI's Carbon Emissions 9/17/2003
From: Christopher Lagan of the World Resources Institute, 202-729-7684 or clagan@wri.org, http://newsroom.wri.org WASHINGTON, Sept. 17 -- The World Resources Institute (WRI) announced today that it is now 100 percent powered by green energy, making it the largest environmental non-profit in metropolitan Washington, DC to use renewable energy. WRI achieved this by partnering with its landlord, the American Psychological Association (APA) and property manager, Trammell Crow Company, to purchase renewable energy equivalent to 75 percent of the electricity used in its two Capital Hill buildings. WRI, headquartered in one of the buildings, bought additional renewable energy to make its office 100 percent green. All the purchases were made in the form of renewable energy certificates (RECs) which represent the amount of pollution avoided when electricity is generated by renewable resources instead of by fossil fuels. Green Mountain Energy Company will supply WRI and APA with more than 20 million kilowatt hours of RECs from wind and other renewable resources. With 100 percent green energy, WRI's annual greenhouse gas emissions will also be reduced by more than 40 percent. "This purchase of green power helps WRI meet our public commitment to reduce our carbon dioxide emissions to zero by 2005," said Jonathan Lash, WRI president. "We invite every landlord in metropolitan Washington, DC to follow their example and let our capital serve as a national showcase of the benefits of green energy." WRI's experiences implementing its carbon dioxide reduction initiative are documented in the free book, Working 9 to 5 on Climate Change: An Office Guide. It outlines the practical steps organizations can take to measure, manage and reduce emissions in their offices. Easy-to-use calculation tools accompany the book to complete the toolkit. The purchases by APA and WRI will prevent emissions of 19,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas -- equivalent to taking more than 3,700 cars off the road. The deal represents enough energy to power more than 1,800 homes annually. "We are proud to be purchasing cost competitive green energy in our headquarters and sharing its benefits with our tenants," said Dr. Norman B. Anderson, chief executive officer of APA (www.apa.org). Its two buildings are located at 10 G Street, NE and 750 First Street, NE. The announcement was made today in conjunction with green power purchase announcements by the twelve corporate partners in WRI's Green Power Market Development Group (The Green Power Group). The Green Power Group announcement today totaled 97 MW of purchases including the largest corporate RECs and fuel cells deals in the United States to date. "Purchasing green power is consistent with our commitment to promoting rewarding business environments," said Dorothy Holden, senior property manager for Trammell Crow. "As a customer service-oriented company, we are pleased to work with one of our tenants, the World Resources Institute, to find an attractive and cost-effective green power opportunity." The APA deal is the second brokered by WRI in Washington, DC. It worked with Think Energy (http://www.thinkenergy.net), a renewable energy consulting firm, to identify and evaluate green power options for APA and for another building owner, The Tower Companies. The Tower Companies announced their purchases in March 2003 (see http://www.towercompanies.com) ------ The World Resources Institute (http://www.wri.org) is an environmental research and policy organization that creates practical solutions to protect the Earth and improve people's lives. WRI has approximately 140 permanent staff and an annual operating budget of $19 million. The Green Power Market Development Group (http://www.thegreenpowergroup.org) is a project of the Sustainable Enterprise Program at the World Resources Institute. |