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NewswireToday - /newswire/ -
San Francisco, CA, United States, 09/26/2008 - Santa Clara University’s electricity just got a little greener. The University’s purchase of 11,256 MWh of renewable energy, equal to the annual output of 3.5 large-scale wind turbines, represents over 1/3 of the University's annual electricity use.
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The purchase was made through Santa Clara Green Power, a 100 percent renewable energy program sponsored by Silicon Valley Power (SVP), the City of Santa Clara’s municipal electric utility. This action underscores the University’s ongoing commitment to renewable energy, and establishes the University as the largest purchaser in Santa Clara’s nationally acclaimed green power program.
“This purchase is just one of many actions the University is taking to develop a culture of sustainability for our students, faculty, and staff,” says Lindsey Cromwell, Sustainability Coordinator for Santa Clara University. “The Santa Clara Green Power program provides an opportunity to support renewable energy, a major initiative as we strive to reduce the University’s environmental impact.”
The carbon dioxide reduction for the purchase is equivalent to planting 6,003 acres of trees or taking 1,560 cars off the road every year. The commitment makes the University a member of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership’s exclusive Green Power Leadership Club. Santa Clara University is one of more than 130 businesses and nearly 4,000 households participating in the growing Santa Clara Green Power program.
“The University’s leadership in sustainability is a great example of advocacy through action,” says Larry Owens, Division Manager of Customer Services for SVP. “Their accomplishments are outstanding and we are proud to be a partner in their efforts.”
SVP will purchase Green-e certified renewable energy credits on behalf of Santa Clara University’s facilities from newly constructed wind farms located within the western United States.
About Silicon Valley Power
Silicon Valley Power (siliconvalleypower.com) is the trademark adopted for use by the century-old Electric Department of the City of Santa Clara, California. SVP provides power to more than 50,000 customers, including Applied Materials, Intel, National Semiconductor and Yahoo!, at rates 25 to 45 percent below neighboring communities. SVP is an active participant in the wholesale energy markets in the Western United States.
About Santa Clara Green Power
Santa Clara Green Power is a voluntary renewable energy program offered by Silicon Valley Power to all of its residential, commercial and industrial customers as a way to support energy generated from 100 percent clean wind and solar power resources at a low additional cost of 1.5 cents per kilowatt-hour. Santa Clara utility customers can enroll in Santa Clara Green Power by signing up through the secure website at siliconvalleypower.com; sending an email that includes the customer's name, address, account and phone number to green[.]siliconvalleypower.com. or by calling (408) 244-SAVE (7283).
About Santa Clara University
Santa Clara University (scu.edu), a comprehensive Jesuit, Catholic university located 40 miles south of San Francisco in California's Silicon Valley, offers its 8,685 students rigorous undergraduate curricula in arts and sciences, business, and engineering, plus masters, Ph.D., and law degrees. Distinguished nationally by one of the highest graduation rates among all U.S. masters universities, California's oldest operating higher-education institution demonstrates faith-inspired values of ethics and social justice.
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