Renewable Energy
In 2003, Planet Bluegrass first purchased Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) to offset the CO2 emissions created by the electricity, gas, and diesel used to produce the Telluride Bluegrass Festival. We soon discovered that artist travel into and out of Telluride created eight times more emissions than were used to produce the Festival, we also purchased REC’s to offset the emissions produced by our artists’ travel. This year we are tackling the largest single source of greenhouse gas pollution created by Planet Bluegrass events: emissions from Festivarian travel. In the big picture, it’s festivarians traveling from every state - even overseas - by plane and car, that accounts for nearly 97% of CO2 emissions created by the Festival.
Planet Bluegrass Renewable Energy Evolution
Since 2003, we have been expanding our use of renewable energy to cover more aspects of our events:
| 100% Wind-Powered | Offset Artist Travel | Offset TBF Festivarian Travel | ||||||
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| TBF | RG | FF | Offices | TBF |
RG | FF | ||
| 2003 | ||||||||
| 2004 | ||||||||
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| 2006 | ||||||||
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| 2008 | ||||||||
This year we are again increasing our investment in renewable energy by purchasing 4,111,699 KWh of Renewable Energy Credits to offset all travel to and from Telluride. To put this in perspective, that prevents 5,723,485 pounds of CO2 pollution, which is equivalent to….
| Avoiding 1,537 Tons of coal burned | Not driving a car 6,248,346 miles or taking 500 cars off the road |
Planting 756 acres of trees |
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By offsetting 100% of the emissions created by the Festival, including all travel emissions, we are taking the most significant step yet towards achieving a carbon neutral event.
Steps to Becoming Carbon Neutral
| Using historical ticket purchase information and Festivarian transportation surveys, we calculated the total emissions created by Festivarians traveling to Telluride both by car and airplane from around the world |
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According to Clean Air-Cool Planet, global emissions of carbon dioxide exceed 25 billion tons per year and are growing. This, combined with the fact that there are no federal greenhouse gas emissions reduction mandates in the United States means that for now, voluntary reductions will play a key role in addressing global warming.
Carbon neutrality refers to the idea of reducing and ultimately neutralizing one's carbon footprint. The following steps illustrate the basic actions that need to be taken to become carbon neutral:
- Assess carbon footprint
- Account for current emissions
- Implement emissions reduction measures
- Compute remaining carbon emissions
- Purchase Greenhouse Gas (GHG) offsets
- Communicate carbon neutrality
Partnership with Renewable Choice Energy
At Planet Bluegrass we are working closely with Renewable Choice Energy as our clean energy provider. Since its inception in 2001, Renewable Choice has helped its clients support the delivery of more than two billion kilowatt hours of wind-powered electricity. Renewable Choice evaluates every project to meet the requests of its clients as well as rigorous environmental standards, including:
Wind projects must be built independently of and additional to meeting any state or federal mandates. - Wind projects must have ascertained the impact on local wildlife, including birds.
- Wind projects must have local community support.
- Wind projects must demonstrate local economic development benefits.
- Green-e certification, the highest environmental and consumer protection standard for renewable energy and energy credit products.
Trimont Wind Farm is one of the projects we’ve supported over the years. Trimont Wind Farm is believed to be the nation’s first landowner-developed, commercial-scale wind project. Several years ago, a coalition of 43 landowners in southwestern Minnesota came together to supply electricity from 67 turbines on their land.
In order to address travel impacts, Planet Bluegrass is working with Renewable Choice Energy to offer “Clean Source.” Clean Source is a certified blend of renewable energy from a variety of sources. Launched in 2006, Clean Source is being used by Renewable Choice Energy to partner with several low-impact hydroelectric and biomass facilities around the country.
Biodiesel
In Telluride, diesel fuel is used to power generators for stage sound and lights, and also for some trucking. This year, we finally have a bio-diesel pump locally which will allow us to use B20 bio-diesel throughout the event.
Life Cycle of a Renewable Energy Credit.
Most of us don't realize that most electricity we consume is generated by burning coal and gas. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) electricity production is the largest industrial air polluter in our nation. Emissions from fossil fuel power plants are responsible for one-third of our nation's nitrogen oxide emissions (smog), one-third of carbon dioxide emissions (global warming), and two-thirds of sulfur dioxide emissions (acid rain).
No one (not even your local utility) can pipe wind powered electricity to your house. Every home and business that uses electricity is attached to the national power grid. This grid is kind of like a big bathtub of free-floating electricity, maintained by local utilities around the country.
When you purchase wind power you actually purchasing renewable energy credits. These credits include the additional value of clean power. By selling them, wind farms are better positioned to compete economically with fossil fuel energy producers. Every time a renewable energy producer adds electricity to the grid, it also generates a renewable energy credit. Sometimes the electricity and the renewable energy credit are sold together, sometimes they are sold separately. Our partner, Renewable Choice Energy, obtains credits from renewable energy producers around the country and delivers them to businesses, individuals and Planet Bluegrass. Renewable energy credits from Renewable Choice Energy were generated from large and small scale projects around the country.
Everyone has a different reason for buying credits. Some businesses purchase credits to satisfy regulations, others simply want to do their part for the environment. Purchasing credits equal to the amount of electricity you draw of the grid ensures that the electricity you use is replaced on the grid with clean power. Every one of these transactions is audited and verified by the Center for Resource Solutions, a non-profit organization based in San Francisco. This is also known as being Green E certified.