By Laurie Burstein
What if you could help the
environment the same as not driving a car for two years? It's possible by enrolling in AmerenUE's Pure Powerª program started a little over a year ago. With Pure Power, residential and business customers alike can have a positive impact on the environment by supporting wind farms and other sources of renewable energy facilities in the Midwest.
Launched in October of 2007,
The Pure Power program is a voluntary program where residential customers agree to pay a penny and a half more per kilowatthour to support clean energy, while businesses purchase blocks of power. AmerenUE then purchases Green-e-Certified renewable energy certificates (RECs) from new regional wind and other renewable energy facilities.
A minimum of 75 percent of Pure Power's renewable energy comes from wind power and up to 25 percent from a blend of other renewable sources. At least half the supply is generated in Missouri and Illinois, and the rest from other parts of the Midwest.
The average customer who enrolls for a year will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 19,500 pounds each year—the same carbon reduction provided by about seven acres of forest for a year or not driving a car for almost two years.
Ameren spokesperson Tim Fox says the program largely came out of inquiries from customers who wanted a green energy program. The cost to consumers is 1.5 cents per kilowatthour per month or an average of $15 per month.
"I like to say it's the equivalent of buying a large pizza," jokes Fox. "But really, you can cover your entire carbon footprint by participating in this program," he says.
Businesses large and small are participating in the Pure Power program from Monsanto to Schlafly Beer. For companies interested in the program, Ameren will go to any business to explain how it works and review the costs Fox says.
Currently there are more than 2,200 residential and business customers participating in the program in the St. Louis region in only the first year.
Ameren is also taking advantage of the program. "At our downtown offices, Ameren is offsetting 10 percent of our own energy usage with the Pure Power program," Fox says. "We are buying renewable energy credits just as our customers are."
Bill Barbieri, Manager of Renewables for Ameren, says, "Our group started four years ago because of customer demand. Our commitment to renewable energy is part of our pursuit of environmental leadership. Our customers want it and it's the right thing to do."
Barbieri says the program has so far been successful. "The Pure Power program was our first initiative, and since it began over 5,000,000 kilowatt hours of renewable energy credits have been used by residential and business customers which in turn supports regional renewable energy projects."
AmerenUE has other projects in the works designed to take advantage of various green energy resources.
"We have also announced the selection of the Horizon Rail Splitter Wind Farm in Central Illinois as the project that AmerenUE will contract for, leading to the construction of 100 MWs of wind power generation," Barbieri says. "This project will be constructed this year, and when completed, the energy output will be enough to power approximately 26,000 homes."
AmerenUE is also working on a project that will convert the methane gas from a local landfill into electric power. Another green project involves AmerenUE upgrading turbines at its existing hydro electric facilities to enable them to produce additional power without creating any new water impoundments that could be detrimental to fish habitats. And additional work is being done to analyze how the company might integrate solar into the generation mix.
Barbieri adds, "As wind energy and other new technologies become more affordable, we have an opportunity to bring these new resources to our region. At the same time, Ameren does have a responsibility to provide to its rate payers the least cost option related to electrical generation. It's going to take a variety of traditional and non-traditional energy resources and Ameren is committed to both."
Customers can enroll in the Pure Power program by checking a box on their bill,
calling customer service, or online at www.ameren.com/PurePower.
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