PITTSBURGH, May 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cementing their
leadership in the area of sustainability, the Western Pennsylvania
Energy Consortium (WPEC), has announced that it is directing its
energy dollars towards the support of renewable energy. Building on
the success of the recent Earth Day renewable energy demonstration,
the WPEC are proud to announce a new, 12-month agreement with
Direct Energy.
As a result of a competitive auction, Direct Energy was chosen
as the supplier of choice, for renewable energy supply. Direct
Energy will source power and Green-e Certified renewable energy
attributes offsetting 100% of the energy consumption and associated
carbon emissions from the consortium members.
Pittsburgh Mayor, William Peduto, expresses the benefits of the
new agreement. "Under this contract extension, the City will be
meeting its renewable electricity goals for its facilities for the
next year—a critical milestone from our climate action plan created
in 2018. The extension continues our 2020 Earth Day efforts and
shows that every day can be Earth Day. Equally important, the
extension is both environmentally friendly while also reduces the
energy costs for our Consortium members, demonstrating that good
environmental and economic decisions can go hand in hand. I'd like
to thank our City energy team, members of the WPEC, and the
technical teams at Direct Energy and ENEL-X for helping us navigate
these difficult times, but also through these tough times for
creating an opportunity."
Consortium members, Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, are
delighted to move forward with the green energy product offered by
Direct Energy, explains their CFO Jackie
Vincunas. "As a proud partner of the Western Pennsylvania
Energy Consortium, the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium is honored
to take this proactive step to offset our carbon footprint and help
to educate our local community about economical and sustainable
energy programs within our region."
James Stitt, Sustainability
Manager for Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, shares how the
contract extension can improve energy efficiencies across the
board. "An enormous amount of energy is required to filter and
distribute water throughout the City. As stewards of one of the
most valuable resources on the planet, PWSA is driven to protect
our source waters now and far into the future. By using our
purchasing power as part of the WPEC to support green energy
initiatives, we can help to ensure not just cleaner water, but a
better environment and be on a path towards the attainment of our
2030 sustainability goals."
This latest stage in the partnership between the WPEC and Direct
Energy demonstrates a significant commitment towards a sustainable
future and proves that governments, businesses and even residents
in Western Pennsylvania can access
renewable energy and carbon offset products in an economic
manner.
Dave Grupp, Head of Direct Energy
Renewable Services, is excited for WPEC to take this step, the
first of many organizations in realizing that cost savings and
reducing carbon emissions are not mutually exclusive. "We are
experiencing a major break-through for renewable energy in the
country and in this region and WPEC is setting a positive example
for large organizations in making economical and sustainable
choices. With an annual cost savings of nearly $500k, WPEC is achieving budget savings while
increasing their renewable supply from 35 to 100%. We're very
pleased to be making these steps alongside them."
Direct Energy is one of North
America's largest retail providers of electricity, natural
gas, and home and business energy-related services with nearly four
million customers. Direct Energy gives customers choice,
simplicity, and innovation where energy, data, and technology meet.
A subsidiary of Centrica plc (LSE: CNA), an international energy
and services company, Direct Energy, its subsidiaries and/or
affiliates, operate in 50 U.S. states plus the District of Columbia and 8 provinces in
Canada. To learn more about Direct
Energy, please visit www.directenergy.com.
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SOURCE Direct Energy