Connecticut to Buy 20 Percent Green Power by 2010

April 28, 2004

Connecticut Governor John Rowland celebrated Earth Day on April 22nd by requiring that the state facilities draw on renewable energy for 20 percent of their electricity needs by 2010. The governor's executive order also requires state facilities to run on 50 percent green power by 2020 and 100 percent green power by 2050. The order will avoid the emissions of at least 420 million pounds of carbon dioxide by 2020. See the governor's press release.

A growing number of utilities are offering green power throughout the country. The Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) announced on Earth Day that Alliant Energy is now offering Green-e certified renewable energy to its 500,000 customers in Iowa and Minnesota. In upstate New York, Rochester Gas and Electric Company (RG&E) and Select Energy began offering wind power to their customers last week. In Rhode Island, Narragansett Electric Company started offering green power to its customers in late March. In the Southeast, Georgia Power started selling green power in mid-March and Laurens Electric Cooperative, a rural electric cooperative in northern South Carolina, is now offering green power to its 46,000 customers. See the press releases and announcements from CRS, RG&E, Select Energy, Narragansett Electric, Georgia Power, and Laurens Electric Cooperative.