The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and WGL Energy Services (WGL Energy) announced a new Clean Energy Partnership to green the electricity use and offset the greenhouse gas emissions associated with SEIA’s office, travel and events.
Through this partnership, WGL Energy will annually provide SEIA with 373 solar renewable energy credits (SRECs) and 554 Green-e Climate certified carbon offsets after calculating approximate emissions from SEIA staff travel, commuting, event attendee travel and office and event electricity usage.
The SRECs provided by WGL Energy are sourced from two solar projects: an 8-MW solar facility in Danville, Virginia, and a 2-MW solar facility in Hagerstown, Maryland, allowing SEIA to match its electricity usage with clean, reliable solar energy.
“This partnership was a no-brainer for us,” said SEIA president and CEO Abigail Ross Hopper. “As a trade association representing an industry that reduces CO2 emissions by 71 million metric tons annually, we are committed to embodying that sustainability in the way we power SEIA’s day-to-day operations and off-site events.”
Over the course of 2018-2019, the SRECs provided to SEIA by WGL Energy equal a reduction of 555 metric tons of CO2, equivalent to taking 119 cars off the road for a year, or not consuming 62,472 gallons of gasoline. The carbon offsets provided have a total environmental impact equal to 1,108 metric tons of CO2, which is equivalent to taking 237 cars off the road for a year, or not consuming 124,676 gallons of gasoline.
“WGL Energy is proud to continue its long history with SEIA and pleased to share a mutual commitment to solar energy to help establish a clean and sustainable energy economy for many years to come,” said Sanjiv Mahan, president of WGL Energy. “We applaud SEIA for taking a big leap toward improving sustainability business practices as environmental stewards, and promoting diverse solutions that foster environmental health and expand the benefits of renewable power as an energy source.”
WGL Energy has more than 290 MW of distributed generation projects installed or under contract across 21 states and the District of Columbia.
Off-site solar procurement through SRECs is a fast-growing option for businesses and organizations that cannot install solar at their facilities. Many of the top U.S. brands in tech, retail and other sectors are using renewable energy credits to meet corporate sustainability and clean energy goals.
This partnership is part of SEIA’s larger Sustainability Initiative, which promotes sustainability throughout the organization’s policies and initiatives and focuses on reducing the carbon and environmental footprint of our everyday office operations. For more information, visit www.seia.org/sustainability.
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