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Summer 2006 Newsletter

In this issue:

State Energy Office grant funds new corporate initiative

The grant will provide funding for staff time and marketing efforts, including a full-time corporate development manager. The duties of the new position will include developing relationships with business and industry across the state, and helping encourage those organizations to become NC GreenPower sponsors.

Commercial and industrial customers account for approximately 80% of renewable energy purchases in green power programs nationwide during their first years of operation. They create an important foundation necessary for continued growth of the program and also help to promote cleaner energy options to their customers and employees. Many companies also offer matching funds for employees who contribute to programs such as NC GreenPower that promote positive environmental benefits. Contributions through matching programs effectively extend customer participation in the program.

The grant is allocated through the State Energy Office from petroleum violation escrow funds collected by the U.S. Department of Energy. It is the second such grant received from the agency by NC GreenPower. The previous grant helped to fund program marketing efforts, providing resources for printed materials, advertising, exhibitions and personnel. While the current grant supplies funding for personnel and some general marketing efforts, its primary focus is on increasing corporate participation in the program. The State Energy Office’s support of NC GreenPower is consistent with their mission to provide information and support to programs that benefit North Carolina citizens and industry.  

NC GreenPower already maintains a number of corporate sponsors who have made a significant commitment to improving the quality of the environment and increasing the supply of alternative energy across the state. Their support demonstrates their dedication to building a better future for all North Carolinians.

Together with the nearly 8,000 current participants in the program, corporate sponsors make up a very important part of the NC GreenPower community. But program leaders are hopeful that the new dedicated corporate development position can help that community grow.

“We anticipate significant growth in the coming year with the addition of a dedicated sales position," said Maggy Inman, vice president of NC GreenPower. “Growing the corporate market is essential to the long-term growth of a green power program. The funding that this grant provides will help with that.”

The State Energy Office’s grant will supply funding for marketing efforts and for the dedicated corporate development position through September 2007, with the anticipation that additional revenue from business customers will continue to fund the position after the grant has expired. For now, the NC GreenPower team is focused on the challenges and opportunities that the funding will offer.

“We have a lot of work ahead of us,” Inman said. “But the potential for increased demand for renewable energy from corporate clients makes the challenges very rewarding.”

As of April 2006

Program participation
Current NC GreenPower subscribers – 7,833
Total monthly NC GreenPower blocks subscribed – 14,277
Annual equivalent blocks subscribed – 171,327
Annual equivalent energy – 17,132,691 kWh

Current NC GreenPower producers

Environmental offsets
The amount of coal consumed annually to produce this equivalent amount of energy - 13,878,216 lbs.

The generation of this amount of renewable energy will annually offset:

35,653,136 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO₂)
111,368 pounds of sulfur dioxide (SO₂)
44,547 pounds of nitrogen oxides (NO_x)

Energy equivalents
The annual reduction of CO₂ emissions is environmentally equivalent to:

2,742,548 trees planted OR
43,402,364 miles not driven OR 1,056,124 days not driven