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Partner Profile

Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission
Location	Laurel, MD
Organization Type	Govt. (Local, Municipal)
Percentage Green Power	33%
Purchasing Third-Party Certified Green Power Product?	No
Organization-wide Purchase	Yes
Environmental Web Page
Partner Profile The Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (WSSC) is the 8th largest water and wastewater utility in the United States. It currently uses 70 million kWh of green power, providing one-third of its energy for the next nine years. Although using wind power clearly benefits the environment, the idea to use wind originated from the need to control operating costs. WSSC learned several lessons during the green power commitment process. First, it had to demonstrate to key stakeholders that it would be a good deal for its ratepayers. WSSC staff provided a crash course on wind power, holding discussions about its environmental benefits and current energy market economics. Focusing on how buying direct wind power at a fixed price would save money and help the utility improve local air quality broke through the initial skepticism. The next hurdle was overcoming reservations about a long-term purchase power agreement. By focusing on universal projections of higher conventional electricity prices and rising renewable energy portfolio standards, WSSC staff was able to convince key decision-makers to approve the contract. Since WSSC began operating under the wind power agreement in April 2008, it has achieved more than $1,000,000 in savings. "Direct wind-power purchasing was a win-win-win for WSSC, its customers and the environment," says Rob Taylor, WSSC's Energy Manager. "It provides the opportunity to reduce the Commission's energy prices by providing a long-term hedge against rising generation costs, help clean the air we breathe, and to reduce our carbon footprint."

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