Phillies power up Citizens Bank Park with Pennsylvania Electricity
Team’s new green energy choice to support PA’s largest solar project by Community Energy
(Radnor, PA) – With a continued commitment to clean energy, the Philadelphia Phillies agreed to purchase more than 22 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of Renewable Energy Credits matching 100% of their electricity usage with wind and solar generation. Opting for the top choice in green electricity with the highest environmental benefit, the purchase commits to a significant portion of generation from local sources, including a slice from a new solar generation project under development in Lancaster County by Pennsylvania-based renewable energy supplier, Community Energy, Inc. The annual environmental benefit equals that of 2,942 zero-emission passenger vehicles or the same as planting 285,000 trees and growing them for ten years. By staying local the purchase also invests in jobs in the region.
The two-year commitment is part of the Phillies’ Red Goes Green program, an effort to lead the way in the clean energy movement at professional sports venues. In 2008, the Phillies became the first Major League Baseball team to join the EPA’s Green Power Partnership (GPP) program, a voluntary program that encourages organizations to buy green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with purchased electricity use. Today, the Phillies are still the largest purchaser of renewable energy among MLB teams.
A noteworthy component of the Phillies’ commitment includes a share of the output from the largest solar project in Pennsylvania, under development by Community Energy in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Commitments to purchase Solar Renewable Energy Credits (SRECs) like this one by the Phillies support new solar development in PA. The Keystone Solar Project is a 6 megawatt (DC) ground-mounted solar project that will produce approximately 7.5 million kWh of electricity annually, the equivalent of powering 950 homes or avoiding 4,200 tons of carbon dioxide each year. Community Energy is the developer of the Keystone Solar Project in conjunction with Exelon Generation, the wholesale power purchaser for the project. The Phillies join Eastern University, the Clean Air Council and Franklin & Marshall College as project sponsors.
“We are pleased to take our commitment to 100% renewable power to the next level at Citizens Bank Park,” said Dave Buck, Phillies Senior Vice President of Marketing and Advertising Sales. “Through the purchase of PA wind energy, we are proud to support the efforts of Community Energy, a national energy leader in Pennsylvania, as they construct the largest solar power project in the state.”
“The Phillies are smart on green energy choices,” said Brent Alderfer, President of Community Energy. “They know that green energy dollars invested in generation in the home region delivers something real, here at home, for the long-term. We are very pleased to join the Phillies and be a part of their ongoing Red Goes Green efforts.”
About Community Energy, Inc.
Community Energy, Inc. (CEI) has been leading renewable energy development since its founding in 1999. By launching the market for direct sales of renewable energy to retail electric customers, CEI first leveraged electric choice to build demand for new renewable projects, and went on to deliver wind energy at significant scale. In 2009, CEI expanded into solar project development, focusing on solar generation at both utility and customer scale in advancing solar markets. CEI continues to lead the industry by offering the full economic and environmental advantages of solar and wind energy to its array of customers and utility partners. Company projects include the Bear Creek Wind Farm, a 24 megawatt project in built in 2006 in Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains and a 7.8 megawatt Vineland Solar Project in the City of Vineland, NJ. For more information, visit www.CommunityEnergyInc.com.
About Phillies “Red Goes Green”
The Phillies' efforts for a cleaner environment are in collaboration with Citizens Bank Park operators Global Spectrum, a Comcast-Spectacor subsidiary, and ARAMARK, the Phillies food and beverage provider. For more information on the team’s award-winning Red Goes Green program, please visit www.phillies.com/redgoesgreen.