The Green Power Market Development Group: Green Power Projects (January 2005 – December 2005)

Since January 2005, the Green Power Market Development Group has implemented or signed contracts for 185 megawatts (MW) of new green power projects and purchases – enough to power approximately 55,000 homes. These projects and purchases include Green-e® certified renewable energy certificates (RECs) from wind power projects, Green-e® certified RECs from biomass-to-electricity projects, onsite solar photovoltaic systems, and hydropower certified as low-impact by the Low Impact Hydropower Institute. This announcement brings the total projects and purchases by the Green Power Group since 2000 to 360 MW.

The 2005 green power deals are occurring at over 140 facilities across 15 states. On-site renewable energy projects are taking place in California, Delaware, New Jersey, and Tennessee. Group members are purchasing local green electricity from their retail electricity suppliers in Arizona, California, Colorado, Tennessee, Texas, and Wisconsin. Members also are using renewable energy products on a national scale by purchasing RECs from wind and biomass power generation facilities from across the country.

The 2005 projects and purchases will avoid approximately 700 million pounds (lbs.) of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions annually - equivalent to the amount of CO2 absorbed in a year by 87,000 acres of trees, a forest one hundred times the size of New York’s Central Park.