Green-e

Patagonia Earns Use of Green-e Renewable Electricity
Certification Logo
July 6, 1998

SAN FRANCISCO, CA - The Center for Resource Solutions today announced that with its purchases of Green-e certified electricity, Patagonia has been approved to use the Green-e certification seal in its marketing, advertising, and corporate communications. Patagonia's commitment to purchase 100% renewable electricity from a newly built wind plant, and its effort to educate its employees and customers about its purchase, make the company a national leader in promoting the use of cleaner, renewable energy.

Patagonia is purchasing 100% renewable electricity for all of its California facilities from Enron Energy Services. In tandem with its renewable energy purchase, Patagonia is aggressively implementing energy conservation measures and is launching a program to educate the public about energy and the environment.

"In using energy conservation and electricity from a new wind plant, Patagonia is taking every step possible to minimize the environmental costs of the electricity Patagonia consumes," said Jan Hamrin, Executive Director of the Center for Resource Solutions. "Companies across California should follow suit by purchasing renewable-based electricity and by deploying every available energy conservation strategy."

Business for Social Responsibility, a California-based national business organization of which Patagonia is a member, praised the company's decision. "Through its purchase of green power, Patagonia is once again demonstrating its leadership," said Rebecca Calahan Klein, vice president of BSR's Business and the Environment program. "Patagonia's decision provides significant environmental and economic benefits to the company and everyone in California. We encourage other companies to follow their example."

Companies will increasingly report their green electricity purchases by using the Green-e logo, in the same way that many companies now use the recycled symbol to tell their customers that they have purchased environmentally-friendly paper. The Green-e program helps customers easily identify certified electricity products based on at least 50% clean, renewable energy generated from wind, solar, small hydropower, biomass and geothermal sources. Electricity offerings that meet or exceed Green-e's stringent environmental and consumer protection standards are eligible to carry the Green-e logo.

Power providers offering Green-e certified products also sign a code of conduct and undergo an annual audit to verify that they are buying renewable-based electricity on behalf of their customers. Companies that buy Green-e certified electricity products are eligible to use the Green-e logo as a way to inform the public about their purchases of renewable-based electricity.

Green-e is a program of the Center for Resource Solutions, a San Francisco-based non-profit organization dedicated to facilitating the use of energy efficiency and renewables to sustain healthy environments and enhance overall quality of life. More information about Green-e is available at (888) 63-green or www.green-e.org.