Fifteen of Kentucky’s Touchstone Energy Cooperatives offer a renewable energy program calledenvirowatts. Whether you’re looking for an easy way to incorporate renewable energy into your life or you’ve committed to an environmentally friendly lifestyle, envirowatts is the right choice for you.
You have the power to choose which renewable energy source you wish to support – solar, wind, biomass and/or hydro. Our voluntary program offers you the opportunity to purchase renewable energy in $2.75 portions, with no maximum. When you purchase envirowatts, you invest in the future of renewable energy in Kentucky.
The envirowatts program began in 2003 with power plants that produce biomass energy from landfill gas. Each plant converts methane that is produced from decaying trash into electricity. These plants still provide the biomass portion of the program, and have been applauded for being both environmentally responsible and cost efficient.
In 2014, new options were added to envirowatts – solar, wind and hydro. You can feel confident knowing your renewable energy purchase is an investment in the future of renewables.
There are many benefits of purchasing envirowatts portions, including supporting the future of renewable energy and helping to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
With four options, including solar, wind, biomass and hydro, you have the choice of how your renewable energy dollars are spent. You have the power to designate how your $2.75 portion is used. Each renewable energy option has a varying amount of carbon dioxide offset per portion.
For example under current market prices, a $2.75 portion of solar supplies 1,170 pounds of carbon dioxide offset. That's the equivalent to removing emissions from consumption of 59.7 gallons of gasoline or annual greenhouse gas emissions from 1,264 miles/year driven by an average passenger vehicle.
If you purchase a $2.75 portion of wind, you offset 6,240 pounds of carbon dioxide. That's the equivalent to removing emissions from consumption of 318 gallons of gasoline or annual greenhouse gas emissions from 6,739 miles/year driven by an average passenger vehicle.
Purchasing a $2.75 portion of hydro offsets 6,686 pounds of carbon dioxide. That's the equivalent to removing emissions from consumption of 341 gallons of gasoline or annual greenhouse gas emissions from 7,221 miles/year driven by an average passenger vehicle.
If you purchase a $2.75 portion of biomass you offset 3,470 pounds of carbon dioxide. That's the equivalent to removing emissions from consumption of 177 gallons of gasoline or annual greenhouse gas emissions from 3,748 miles/year driven by an average passenger vehicle.
Plus, there's no maximum of portions you can purchase. To increase the green benefits of envirowatts, you can purchase as many portions as you'd like.
*EPA.gov's Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator used to calculate savings.
Current market prices are as of April 2015.
To invest in envirowatts and your community please complete the form below. To learn more about envirowatts before signing up please call 800-372-7612 to speak to Owen Electric representative.