GDF Suez Energy Resources announced Dec. 15, that it will continue to serve as the electricity provider for the Metropolitan Houston Transit Authority of Harris County (Metro) through an agreement that supports the Authority's commitment to environmental responsibility.
Under the contract, Metro will offset 30 percent of its electricity consumption with Green-E certified Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), 5 percent of which – up to 15,968 RECs – will be donated by GDF Suez Energy Resources. Each REC represents the environmental attributes of, or benefits associated with, a specific quantity of energy generated from a U.S.-based renewable source, such as solar or wind.
Metro is a member of the Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Partnership. This partnership program encourages over 1,500 member organizations to reduce both the environmental impacts associated with conventional electricity and the risk of climate change through the use of green power programs and REC products. Partnership members pledge that at least 5 percent of their power will come from green resources – a requirement that Metro exceeds in the new contract with GDF Suez demonstrating Metro's continued environmental stewardship. The contract also includes a feasibility study to evaluate the authority's possible participation in ERCOT's Emergency Response Service (ERS-30). ERS-30 is a demand response program in which consumers agree to curtail their usage during periods of peak demand in order to help alleviate stress on the electricity grid.
Additionally, GDF Suez will donate to the Metro "See the Light" energy toolkit, a program designed to engage the authority's employees in a continuing mission to reduce energy waste and cut electricity consumption while building a sustainable culture of conservation.
J.D. Burrows, vice president of marketing for GDF Suez Energy Resources, said the agreement with Metro reflected the company's "go-the-extra-mile" approach by developing relationships that are consistent with a client's broader business goals.
"Metro has a strong environmental record and was looking for ways to complement its existing efforts," Burrows explained. "So our team of experts worked with Metro on a contract that meets its needs to go even greener, stay within budget, and support energy management goals. We're proud to serve the authority and greatly appreciate its confidence in our ability to do the job."
The combined RECs from GDF Suez Energy Resources and Metro will have a positive effect on greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Environmental Protection Agency's calculator, this many RECs are equivalent to the carbon sequestered by 1,693,926 tree seedlings grown for 10 years, removing about 66,063 metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, or displacing the estimated annual greenhouse gas emissions of 13,908 passenger vehicles.
