Environment News Service
Utility Uses Redwood Forest as Carbon Sink

November 13, 2000

In a first of its kind transaction, Green Mountain Energy Company has agreed to offset part of its carbon dioxide emissions by purchasing tracts of mature forests. The move is the second action the company has taken this year to help protect old growth forests.

Green Mountain Energy and The Pacific Forest Trust, which manages and designs conservation easements on private working forests, announced an agreement last week designed to offset about half of Green Mountain's annual corporate carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.

Under the terms of the agreement, Green Mountain Energy has purchased carbon offsets in the Pacific Forest Trust's (PFT) old growth redwood forests, including those in the Butano Creek watershed in San Mateo County in Northern California.
PFT's program uses the proceeds from the sale of carbon credits to further its work with private landowners to ensure sustainable forest management and conservation in the Pacific Northwest. PFT's work restores and protects old growth and mature forests, particularly for wildlife habitat and biodiversity protection.

Through forest restoration, carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere and stored in the growing forest, where it cannot contribute to global warming.
Green Mountain Energy's carbon offset program through PFT will help to promote ecological restoration of part of an 850 acre property containing rare old growth and mature second growth coastal redwoods.

“The goal of this initiative is to moderate the consequences that our daily business activities have on the environment,” said Thomas Rawls, CEO of Green Mountain Energy. “The additional carbon dioxide stored, or offset, by this agreement amounts to nearly 2,500 tons, or approximately half of the emissions that result from our corporate activities, including employee commuting, business travel, paper use and office operations for 1999 and 2000.”

"This transaction demonstrates that forest can play a key role in helping U.S. companies balance their carbon budgets at home,” said Laurie Wayburn, president of the Pacific Forest Trust. “We commend Green Mountain Energy Company for taking the initiative to address greenhouse gas emissions by helping to improve mature growth forest management and further increase the storage of carbon.”

Roger Ballentine, chairman of the White House Climate Change Task Force, praised the deal. “I commend the Pacific Forest Trust and Green Mountain Energy Company for showing that addressing climate change is good for both our economy and the environment,” he said.

This is the second program initiated by Green Mountain Energy Company this year to foster the preservation of old growth forests. In March, the company adopted a policy to phase out the use of old growth wood fiber in its business operations in collaboration with the Coastal Rainforest Coalition (CRC).

The CRC, an independent advocacy group, is dedicated to protecting the ancient rainforests of British Columbia.

Green Mountain Energy Company provides cleaner electricity to residential customers in California, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. Green Mountain Energy products feature renewable generation sources that are cleaner than typical regional system power.