SALT LAKE CITY — Elfon, a local Web site hosting company, is finding that participating in Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky wind energy program not only has environmental benefits, it’s bringing in new customers.

“Buying Blue Sky has turned out to be really good for business,” asserted Jon Rusho, Elfon’s general manager. “There are consumers who are looking for businesses that make a commitment to the environment and to the community.”

To encourage other businesses and individuals to buy wind power, Rusho said Elfon is extending discounts on Web hosting for Blue Sky customers. Those interested can contact bluesky@elfon.com for more information. “We are in a very competitive environment, so anything we can do to help differentiate ourselves is a good thing,” he said.

Purchasing Blue Sky helps grow the market for wind power in the region. Elfon offsets its office’s power use by purchasing 50 blocks of Blue Sky per month – the equivalent of 100 percent of its electricity usage. That places the firm in the Visionary category, which is Rocky Mountain Power’s top echelon of renewable customers.

For an additional $1.95 per month each, residential and business customers can buy 100-kilowatt hour block increments of Blue Sky, which supports the production of electricity generated from new wind power facilities. Purchasing just one block of Blue Sky wind energy each month for a year has the environmental benefit of planting nearly a half-acre of trees or not driving a car more than 2,500 miles.*

Rusho said that the company was initially inspired by the example set by other local businesses, such as Uinta Brewing Company, which offsets 100 percent of its power with Blue Sky purchases, and Salt Lake City Corporation, which buys 530 blocks of Blue Sky each month.

“Wind power is just a part of our overall commitment to the environment,” Rusho said. “In addition to buying Blue Sky, we telecommute, car pool, recycle and, in partnership with other businesses, we sponsored a wetlands cleanup at Bountiful Pond. Recently Elfon’s partners teamed with The Living Planet Aquarium to pick up 1,380 pounds of trash.

“Blue Sky is a great way for customers to have a role in growing the demand for renewable power,” explained Gina Crezee, Rocky Mountain Power’s regional community manager. “By supporting renewables, we reduce the region’s dependence on less environmental friendly power sources, help improve air quality and help make a positive impact on the environment.

“We already have an excellent foundation of support in other states with more than 11,400 homes and businesses enrolled,” Crezee said.

The popularity of the Rocky Mountain Power’s renewable offerings has earned it national recognition. Rocky Mountain Power’s parent company, PacifiCorp, now ranks third in the nation for customer participation on the U.S. Department of Energy’s Top 10 list of utility “green pricing” programs.

Rocky Mountain Power purchases energy from renewable wind generation equal to the number of Blue Sky blocks customers buy. These purchases are in addition to Rocky Mountain Power’s own efforts to bring more renewable power into the system.

"In addition to Blue Sky purchases, Rocky Mountain Power agreed to purchase the power from a new 41-megawatt wind farm in Oregon, and we plan to bring an additional 1,400 megawatts of renewables, mostly wind, in the next 10 years," Crezee said.  “That’s enough power for about 409,000 homes," Pond said. 

Environmental advocacy groups, such as the Utah Wind Campaign, have partnered with Rocky Mountain Power to recruit customers such as Elfon to the program. Further, customer support has helped increase the demand for wind power, and has helped lower its price.

Renewable power is an important part of Rocky Mountain Power’s energy mix. Renewable energy, such as wind, solar and geothermal, has little-to-no emissions and the supply is unlimited. Wind power produces no air pollutants, wastewater, smog or acid rain. It also helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The company’s least-cost plan for power generation includes a substantial amount of renewables, such as wind and geothermal. Above these levels, Rocky Mountain Power customers can purchase Blue Sky to further spur the development of new wind resources.

“Whether it’s a business, home or city hall, Blue Sky is a great way for communities to support renewable power,” Crezee said.

To sign up for Blue Sky, call 1-800-842-8458 or e-mail bluesky@pacificorp.com . Customers can also learn more about the program and sign up on-line at www.rockymtnpower.net/renewablepower .
 

About Blue Sky

Blue Sky gives Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming and Idaho customers the opportunity to buy renewable energy in 100-kilowatt-hour block increments, in addition to their regular monthly electric bill. Rocky Mountain Power cannot guarantee that electricity from a particular facility will flow directly to a customer’s home or business. However, the company will deliver to the regional grid an amount of renewable energy equal to the amount of a customer’s block purchase. All Blue Sky purchases help support renewable energy generation. Rocky Mountain Power purchases power or certificates associated with power from renewable power plants.

About the Utah Wind Power Campaign

The Utah Wind Power Campaign is a joint project of two nonprofit groups: the Utah Clean Energy Alliance and the Western Resource Advocates (formerly the Land and Water Fund of the Rockies). The goal of the campaign is to increase public awareness and use of pollution-free wind generated electricity. Currently, the main focus of the campaign is marketing Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky SM Program. This creates a unique partnership between a nonprofit environmental group and the utility. The partnership between the UWPC and utility provides mutual support for customer outreach and increased credibility for Blue Sky program.

Media inquiries: newsdesk@pacificorp.com