Demand Fuels Pacific Northwest Solar Power Market
Expansion of a green power program in a way that will support greater development of solar power in the Pacific Northwest has been announced by Puget Sound Energy (PSE).
PSE offers its customers the option of buying electricity produced from renewable sources, such as the wind and the sun, through its green power program.
In response to the overall growth of this program and interest by customers in solar power, PSE contracted with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation to purchase a larger amount of its Green Tags generated by small solar electric installations throughout the region.
The Bonneville Environmental Foundation, through its Northwest Solar Cooperative, will use the funds generated by PSEs increased commitment to support the local development of even more solar electricity generating locations.
“Our request for additional Green Tags is a testament to the commitment and values of our green power customers,” said Mike Richardson, PSE’s manager of renewable programs.
“Participation in our green power program is up more than 50 percent over last year, and customers continue to sign up at a pace of several hundred per week,” Richardson said.
Rob Harmon, Bonneville Environmental Foundation’s vice president for renewable programs, said, “Already our largest purchaser of Green Tags from solar power facilities, PSEs dedication to this program will help us support existing and future systems for years to come.
“Today, this additional commitment will allow us to support another 75 kilowatts of solar power in the Pacific Northwest,” said Harmon, “making this the largest solar program in the region supported entirely by utility customers’ voluntary participation in a green power program.”
Puget Sound Energy is Washington states largest energy utility. The utilitys green power program has more than 13,000 customers helping to generate approximately 4 million kilowatts hours every month of renewable energy for the Northwest grid.
The Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF), a non-profit organization, was established in 1998 to restore watershed ecosystems and further the development and use of new renewable energy resources. Through revenues generated from the sales of green power products, BEF funds projects that restore damaged watersheds and supports new renewable energy projects from solar, wind and biomass.
BEF pioneered the sale of Green Tags in 2000 and has helped establish national standards for their certification and trading.
Provided by the Environmental News Service.
