Jan 4 2009
As part of its ongoing environmental commitment PECO today announced a three-year, 4,050 megawatt hour per year purchase of wind energy for its Main Office Building at 23rd and Market Streets in Philadelphia. The purchase will cover 15 percent of the building’s total energy use and represents a 50 percent increase from the last wind energy purchase for 2005 – 2007.
“As an energy company and prominent business leader, being environmentally responsible is not just a nice thing to do – it is the right thing to do,” said Denis O’Brien, PECO president and CEO. “Our increased purchase of wind energy is just one more step in our efforts to be an environmental leader.”
In addition to purchasing wind energy, PECO was the first utility to voluntarily offer a wind energy product in Pennsylvania. Since its launch in May 2004, PECO WIND has become one of the largest and fastest growing green power programs in the country. More than 36,000 local households and businesses have chosen to purchase PECO WIND, placing it among the top 10 utility green energy programs in the country. The program also has been honored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and Citizens for Pennsylvania’s Future (PennFuture).
The purchase for the headquarter building is part of a more than $15 million ongoing initiative at PECO to preserve the environment and help customers become more environmentally responsible as well. Other environmental projects include the opening of PECO’s first ‘green building’, the installation of a new Crown Lights messaging system at the company’s Center City headquarters, upgrades to secure Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for many company buildings throughout the region, the increased use of hybrid and biodiesel vehicles, and support for community and customer environmental and energy efficiency projects.
These environmental efforts contribute to and support Exelon 2020: A Low-Carbon Roadmap, the comprehensive environmental plan of PECO’s parent company. Exelon 2020 sets the goal of reducing, offsetting or displacing more than 15 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions per year by 2020. The corporation will do this by reducing or offsetting the company’s carbon footprint, helping customers reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, and providing more low-carbon electricity in the marketplace.