Energy Solutions - Ecological Benefits

One pound of coal equals two pounds of emissions. Electricity is usually generated by burning coal, oil and natural gas in various proportions. To generate one kilowatt hour (kWh), or about an hour's worth of power for a typical home, it takes one pound of coal, one-half cup of oil, or 3.3 cubic feet of natural gas. Burning one pound of coal creates more than two pounds of emissions.

What is my organization's carbon footprint? An organization in Northern Nevada using 100,000 kWh monthly (such as that in the sample chart at right) will consume approximately 276 tons of coal and 1.2 million cubic feet of natural gas annually. Each year, burning these materials creates about 570 tons of carbon dioxide, responsible for global warming, and 3,200 pounds of sulfur dioxide, responsible for acid rain.

How can I reduce my organization's carbon output? A 15% reduction in consumption for such an organization would lower carbon emissions by 86 tons and sulfur emissions by 488 lbs each year, with a cumulative, five-year reduction of 431 tons of carbon and 2,400 lbs of sulfur. The math is clear: by reducing kWh consumed, your organization can significantly reduce its carbon emissions.

It's like removing 6,700 cars from the road. Our goal is to help organizations lower usage by a total of 250,000,000 kWh or more over the next five years. Realizing this goal will reduce carbon emissions by more than 100,000 tons and sulfur emissions by more than 600,000 over the five-year period. By 2012, this reduced emissions level will be the equivalent of removing 6,700 cars from the road annually - or about the number of cars in Incline Village, Nevada, where we are based.