Democratic and Republican National Conventions
to Be Powered by Wind, Sun
MINNEAPOLIS, Jun 09, 2008 -- BUSINESS WIRE
The 2008 Democratic and Republican national conventions will be powered with
clean, renewable wind and solar energy, Xcel Energy announced today. This is
also the first time the same electric utility will serve both conventions in
separate cities in the same year.
Xcel Energy, the nation's No. 1 wind power provider according to an American
Wind Energy Association ranking, will provide enough wind power through its
Windsource program to offset the estimated 3,000 megawatt-hours that the
conventions will use. With approximately 70,000 residential and commercial
customers in Colorado, Minnesota and New Mexico, Windsource is the nation's
largest voluntary wind energy program, according to a National Renewable
Energy Laboratory ranking.
"We are pleased to provide clean, renewable power to the conventions because
we want to display for the nation's elected leaders and delegates what a
21st Century utility can look like," said Dick Kelly, chairman, president
and CEO of Xcel Energy. "In addition to renewable energy, we offer customers
incentives for energy conservation and we're reducing emissions from our
facilities. We're moving forward to make a real difference."
The Windsource power for the national conventions primarily will come from
Xcel Energy's Ponnequin Wind Facility near the Colorado-Wyoming border and
from a wind farm on southwestern Minnesota's Buffalo Ridge. Additional power
will come from a 10-kilowatt solar installation at The Pepsi Center in
Denver, and from a 10-kilowatt solar installation at the High Bridge
Generating Station in St. Paul, Minn. The Denver solar installation is part
of Xcel Energy's Solar*Rewards program, which provides incentives for
customers to install solar panels on their home or business.
"Energy policy is an issue that both political parties should discuss at
their conventions and beyond," Kelly said. "We are ahead of the curve in our
policies and actions because we are dedicated to reducing our impact on the
environment and providing the leadership to make a difference in the
communities we serve."
Renewable portfolio standards in Minnesota and Colorado are some of the
nation's most aggressive, and Xcel Energy is on track to meet both. By 2020,
Minnesota requires 30 percent of the company's electricity supply to come
from renewable sources, up from 14 percent currently, and Colorado's
standard is 20 percent by 2020, up from 10 percent. Last fall, Xcel Energy
filed aggressive resource plans in Minnesota and Colorado, proposing to
increase its use of clean generating resources and decrease its reliance on
fossil fuels.
Xcel Energy (NYSE: XEL) is a major U.S. electricity and natural gas company
with regulated operations in eight Western and Midwestern states. Xcel
Energy provides a comprehensive portfolio of energy-related products and
services to 3.3 million electricity customers and 1.8 million natural gas
customers through its regulated operating companies. Company headquarters
are located in Minneapolis.
SOURCE: Xcel Energy
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