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The Green Power Market Development Group

The Green Power Market Development Group (GPMDG) is a collaboration of leading corporations and the World Resources Institute dedicated to building corporate markets for green power. Our goal is to develop corporate markets for 1,000 Megawatts of new, cost competitive green power by 2010. The Group’s corporate members are among the top purchasers of green power in the world.

Why We Launched the Group

Energy is a fundamental driver of economic output and social well-being. However, more than 80% of man-made U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions arise from burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas for energy. Switching to renewable energy or “green power” significantly reduces these energy-related GHG emissions and therefore is an attractive strategy for combating climate change.

However, the cost of renewable energy is slightly higher than the cost of energy from conventional sources. Since corporations currently account for over 50% of U.S. energy consumption, WRI formed the GPMDG to build the corporate market for green power, and therefore decrease the price of clean energy. By leveraging their purchasing power to stimulate the development of cost-competitive renewable energy resources, these corporations will be able to reduce their negative impact on climate change in an economically sound way, while setting the example for other companies, organizations, governments, and individuals.

Real Results

Accelerating the Corporate Response to Climate Change
United States

WRI assisted Whole Foods Market in completing what was then the largest purchase of green power in U.S. history, 4,598 kilowatt-hours per year from wind farms – enough to power 40,000 homes. Corporate leadership is essential to the growth of green power and Whole Foods’ purchase has set a new benchmark. Whole Foods worked with WRI because of the success of our Green Power Market Development Group, a partnership of Fortune 500 companies building corporate markets for renewable energy. Group members are among the nation’s largest corporate users of renewable energy.

Update 2007

GPMDG and its Affiliates Top 700 MW of renewable energy purchases

The Green Power Market Development Group was formed in 2000 with the goal of developing 1,000 megawatts of new, cost-competitive green power by 2010 in the U.S. As of August 2007, the Group has reached 738 MW of new renewable energy generation—only 262 MW away from achieving their goal.

What is a Megawatt?

A watt (W) is the united used to measure power (think of a 100W bulb). A Megawatt (MW) is equal to 1 million watts of energy. One MW is enough to power about 1,000 homes.

Links

Green Power Market Development Group website. Learn more about the Group’s activities in the United States and Europe, as well as which Fortune 500 companies participate as project partners.

What Else is WRI Doing to Combat Climate Change? Explore all of WRI’s climate, energy, and transport initiatives aimed at reducing GHG emissions around the world.

How Big is Your Carbon Footprint? Use WRI’s online SafeClimate Carbon Footprint Calculator to determine your carbon impact. (As seen in Al Gore’s An Inconvenient Truth)

WRI Home Page. Explore what the World Resources Institute is doing to protect the environment and improve people’s lives.
WRI’s mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect the Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.