Greening Pennsylvania: Western Pennsylvania Energy Consortium Goes Green with Direct Energy

Cementing their leadership in the area of sustainability, the Western Pennsylvania Energy Consortium (WPEC), has announced that it is directing its energy dollars towards the support of renewable energy. Building on the success of the recent Earth Day renewable energy demonstration, the WPEC are proud to announce a new, 12-month agreement with Direct Energy.

As a result of a competitive auction, Direct Energy was chosen as the supplier of choice, for renewable energy supply. Direct Energy will source power and Green-e Certified renewable energy attributes offsetting 100% of the energy consumption and associated carbon emissions from the consortium members.

Pittsburgh Mayor, William Peduto, expresses the benefits of the new agreement. “Under this contract extension, the City will be meeting its renewable electricity goals for its facilities for the next year—a critical milestone from our climate action plan created in 2018. The extension continues our 2020 Earth Day efforts and shows that every day can be Earth Day. Equally important, the extension is both environmentally friendly while also reduces the energy costs for our Consortium members, demonstrating that good environmental and economic decisions can go hand in hand. I'd like to thank our City energy team, members of the WPEC, and the technical teams at Direct Energy and ENEL-X for helping us navigate these difficult times, but also through these tough times for creating an opportunity.” 

Consortium members, Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, are delighted to move forward with the green energy product offered by Direct Energy, explains their CFO Jackie Vincunas. "As a proud partner of the Western Pennsylvania Energy Consortium, the Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium is honored to take this proactive step to offset our carbon footprint and help to educate our local community about economical and sustainable energy programs within our region.”

James Stitt, Sustainability Manager for Pittsburgh Water and Sewer Authority, shares how the contract extension can improve energy efficiencies across the board. “An enormous amount of energy is required to filter and distribute water throughout the City. As stewards of one of the most valuable resources on the planet, PWSA is driven to protect our source waters now and far into the future. By using our purchasing power as part of the WPEC to support green energy initiatives, we can help to ensure not just cleaner water, but a better environment and be on a path towards the attainment of our 2030 sustainability goals.”

This latest stage in the partnership between the WPEC and Direct Energy demonstrates a significant commitment towards a sustainable future and proves that governments, businesses and even residents in Western Pennsylvania can access renewable energy and carbon offset products in an economic manner.

Dave Grupp, Head of Direct Energy Renewable Services, is excited for WPEC to take this step, the first of many organizations in realizing that cost savings and reducing carbon emissions are not mutually exclusive. “We are experiencing a major break-through for renewable energy in the country and in this region and WPEC is setting a positive example for large organizations in making economical and sustainable choices. With an annual cost savings of nearly $500k, WPEC is achieving budget savings while increasing their renewable supply from 35 to 100%. We’re very pleased to be making these steps alongside them.”