Political Conventions to Use Clean Power and Mass Transit

July 14, 2004

This year's approaching political party conventions promise to employ clean energy sources and mass transit to minimize their environmental impact.

The Democratic National Convention, which runs from July 26th to the 29th in Boston, will focus on clean energy by buying enough renewable energy credits to match the electricity used during the convention. The convention will also draw on a 250-kilowatt fuel cell, fueled with natural gas, to help power its facilities, and the convention committee will buy enough greenhouse gas emission credits to offset other greenhouse emissions attributable to the convention, such as transportation. General Motors will also provide hybrid-electric pickup trucks and buses for use at the convention. See the press release from the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

Although the Republican National Convention is still more than a month away—running from August 30th to September 2nd in New York City—it has already announced plans to encourage its 50,000 participants to use mass transit. Along with providing its delegates with Metrocards, which will allow free access to the city's bus and subway systems, the convention will establish an express bus service of its own, called GOP Liberty Express, to whisk attendees between their hotel and the convention location, Madison Square Garden. See the press release from the 2004 Republican National Convention.