Partnership for Green Buildings in Washington

The Tower Companies, a family- owned commercial and residential developer known for building green buildings, has partnered with Pepco Energy Services (PES), a subsidiary of Pepco Holdings, Inc. to supply renewable energy to all of its Washington, D.C. area buildings.

Bethesda, Maryland – March 14, 2003 [SolarAccess.com] All Tower buildings, representing some two and a half million square feet, will be supplied with over 24 million kilowatt hours of Green-e certified renewable “green” energy, which PES will supply through Sterling Planet’s “Renewable Energy Certificates” program. The Tower Companies is the first private developer in the D.C. area to purchase this type of energy. Under the terms of the 18-month contract, PES will provide Tower’s Washington, DC Metropolitan Area buildings with 50 percent of their energy needs from green energy. Twenty-five percent green energy will be used in Tower-owned apartment communities. The World Resources Institute’s (WRI) Green Power Market Development Group and Think Energy, Inc., an environmental consulting firm, were also instrumental in helping Tower initially identify and evaluate various green power options and providers. Together, WRI’s Green Power Market Development Group and Tower suggested to PES, Inc. that they partner with Sterling Planet, a pivotal step in formulating the smart, green product now available to the public. The signed agreement reflects Tower’s ongoing commitment to reduce environmental impact and encourage other companies to do the same. Tower’s use of renewable energy helps to offset CO2, a key greenhouse gas, as well as SO2 emitted into the atmosphere in the production of electricity from fossil fuels. Tower’s purchase represents enough energy to power 2100 homes annually. Their commitment will prevent the emission of approximately 25 million pounds of CO2 into the atmosphere, which is equivalent to taking more than 2100 cars off the road annually. “As the largest builder of healthy buildings in the Washington D.C. area, we hope to see others promptly participate in programs such as this-programs which will eventually shepherd America into energy self-sufficiency and better health.” Charles Segerman, Tower’s Director of Green Development, cites that forty percent of all energy used in the U.S. is consumed in buildings(1). “If the U.S. government would offer tax incentives to renovate older buildings and create new healthier buildings designed to green standards, this alone would dramatically improve the health of America. It would also spur the economy by creating a new industry which would advance clean air and water as a national priority alongside world peace, security and homeland defense issues.”