Washington, DC-based nonprofit organization Groundswell, has selected Washington Gas Energy Services renewable energy certificates (RECs) for the current round of its Community Power Project, which enables local institutions in Washington, DC, and Maryland to apply their collective buying power to shift to wind energy while also reducing their costs.
Groundswell facilitated a Community Power Project agreement with 23 houses of worship and three public charter schools that will each purchase 100 percent CleanSteps WindPower for their annual combined electricity load of about 10 million kWh.
By leveraging their collective buying power, the local groups are expected to realize savings of up to 11 percent compared to commercial utility standard offer service.
Sixty-two percent of the institutions involved in the Community Power Project also elected to contribute to Groundswell’s weatherization fund for local, low-income families. The fund supports home energy efficiency projects that reduce energy consumption and save households money on their energy bills, while improving the comfort and health of their homes.
In the District of Columbia, Maryland and Pennsylvania, businesses, organizations, government entities, institutions and individual residents can purchase their electricity and natural gas supply from retail energy providers. Customers in Virginia may purchase natural gas and customers in Delaware may purchase electricity from retail energy providers.