renewable energy - OurEnergy.us Marks Earth Day with Free Wind Energy for Consumers

Grand Rapids, Mich. (PRWEB) April 24, 2006

Environmentally conscious consumers who want to take concrete action to reduce America’s dependence on fossil fuels now have a more powerful tool to make that happen. And it’s free.

OurEnergy, a Grand Rapids, Mich.-based firm that supports the construction and operation of wind farms and other clean energy sources, will pay for the generation of 100 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of wind power for every consumer who joins its network. The offer, which expands a current clean power program, was launched April 19 to mark Earth Day 2006 and will continue indefinitely.

“The free offer enables every consumer to support American clean energy,” OurEnergy founder John Zyskowski said. “This is the only renewable energy program that meets consumer demand for a cleaner domestic energy supply continually without a price tag.”

Here’s how it works: Individuals and business sign up on the OurEnergy network and immediately are given – at no cost to them -- $2.50 in wind energy credits. The $2.50 will produce 100kWh in wind power, or enough to offset the climate-harming effects of driving a motor vehicle for 150 miles.

Once in the OurEnergy network, individuals and businesses accrue more clean energy credits by shopping with more than 700 retail stores and businesses who support clean power programs. When signing up with the OurEnergy program, network users download an Energy Tracker tool that works in the background while shoppers are online. When a shopper visits a site that supports clean energy, the Energy Tracker pops up and informs them. If the purchase is made, then the retailer’s contributions cover the cost of the clean energy credits. The average OurEnergy member generates $20 in annual retailer contributions, which equals the generation of another 800kWh of wind energy. Participating online retailers include Staples, Expedia.com, Home Depot, Gap.com and many more. Again, consumers and businesses in the OurEnergy network pay nothing for these credits.

Businesses that participate in the expanded OurEnergy program will be able to earn wind energy credits when their employees shop in the network. The power for the $2.50 in initial wind energy credits is exclusively supplied by Boulder, Colorado-based Renewable Choice Energy, a marketer of wind power in the United States and Canada. Whole Foods Market, the Austin, Texas retailer, recently selected Renewable Choice to manage its wind energy credit program – the largest in the United States to date.

More American renewable energy generation will lessen our demand and dependency on volatile foreign and fossil fuels, such as natural gas and oil. This will help the United States create new jobs, help to curb rising energy and gasoline costs faced by all Americans, and address the issue of global warming. OurEnergy has set a goal to generate more than 500,000 megawatt-hours (MWh) of domestic clean energy in 2007 with the program, surpassing the largest renewable energy purchase to date. More than 65,000 cars would need to be removed from the nation’s roads to achieve the same environmental impact.

OurEnergy, founded in 2005, was created to advance the long-term development of renewable energy in the United States by eliminating the cost for renewable energy which is normally passed on to energy users. For more information, visit ourenergy.us

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