Green Power Partnership
Partner Profile
| City of Grand Rapids, MI | |
| Location | Grand Rapids, MI |
| Organization Type | Govt. (Local, Municipal) |
| Percentage Green Power | 21.9% |
| Purchasing Third-Party Certified Green Power Product? | Yes |
| Organization-wide Purchase | Yes |
Environmental Web Page  | |
| Partner Profile The City of Grand Rapids, Michigan City is increasingly involved in and advocacy for environmental responsibility and sustainability. In December 2007, Grand Rapids began to purchase 20 percent of its municipal electric needs from renewable sources through its local utilities green power program. The green power purchase is the most of any Michigan city and more than most cities in the Great Lakes region. The City's leadership has encouraged other organizations, businesses and communities to support development of Michigan-based renewable energy projects. Grand Rapids strong commitment to renewable energy was a key factor in developing a special tariff, approved by the Michigan Public Service Commission, that allowed the City to enroll in the Green Generation Program. The City is investigating on-site generation projects, including development of the large wind turbines, solar panel demonstration projects, and geothermal project. City has been able to reduce its energy consumption through innovative measures and energy efficiency efforts. Further reduction in Green Block pricing and energy efficiency efforts enabled to City to increase its renewable energy committment by another one percent. The City of Grand Rapids was presented the Siemens Sustainable Community Award for mid-size communities by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Business Civic Leadership Center (BCLC) and Siemens Corporation on May 13, 2010. The City's goal is to have 100 percent of its municipal electric supply from renewable sources by 2020. | |