An affiliate of UPC Wind that owns the Mars Hill wind project in Maine has reached a three-year agreement with Bowdoin College to provide the school with renewable energy certificates (RECs).
Bowdoin is currently offsetting approximately 70% of its campus electricity use with voluntary RECs produced in Maine. These voluntary REC purchases complement the green power already provided pursuant to Maine's renewable portfolio standard. For 2008, 31% of Bowdoin's competitive electric supply is from qualifying renewable sources, bringing Bowdoin's total green electricity supply to 100%, according to the college.
‘Our primary focus has been, and will continue to be, switching to lower carbon fuels and increased energy efficiency, but as we seek to become carbon neutral, purchasing offsets are a necessity,’ says S. Catherine Longley, Bowdoin's treasurer and senior vice president for finance. ‘We are excited that the Mars Hill Wind project allows us to procure wind RECs locally.’
UPC Wind owns and operates the 42 MW wind farm in the town of Mars Hill, Maine. It is also developing other wind farms in the state, including a 57 MW project near Danforth. That project is currently under construction and is expected to be feeding power into the New England power grid before the end of the year.
