“I WANT MY GPT!” (GREEN POWER TOO)
SAY THOUSANDS OF PUGET SOUND-REGION UTILITY CUSTOMERS
Results of Recent Green Power Public Information Campaign Confirm:
Utility Green Power Programs are Working, Wanted and Worthwhile

SEATTLE, WA - Three Puget Sound regional utilities, Puget Sound Energy, Snohomish County Public Utility District and Tacoma Power, announced today the success of their recent public information campaign to encourage customers to purchase environmentally-friendly renewable energy, also called "green" power. The campaign results show more than 4,300 new customers joined the utilities’ green power programs, representing a 272 percent increase in the enrollment rate over the same period last year.

The three utilities’ green power programs provide customers the opportunity to support the development of new renewable energy projects. As a result of this campaign, these new customers alone purchased enough green power to supply 1,032 homes annually, and will keep more than 21.6 million pounds (10.8 thousand tons) of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) gas from being released into the air each year. CO 2 is a leading “greenhouse” gas and major contributor to global climate change.

“The utilities’ and our own studies show that customer interest in clean, renewable energy was high, but awareness of where and how to get it was low,” said Noreen King, marketing consultant for Belo Marketing Solutions, the company that coordinated the green power campaign’s media efforts. In just a few short months, using television, the Internet and permission-based email, coupled with utility bill inserts and an offer from Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters of a free mug and two packages of premium coffee, we were able to get the word out. People signed up faster than ever before, resulting in about a 66 percent combined increase in participation for the utilities’ green power programs.”

About the Campaign Results
The campaign officially kicked off with an announcement on April 15 to regional press and television stations as well as to publications covering the renewable energy market. The first of a series of television ads followed later that day. During the ten weeks that the campaign ran, nearly 22 million media impressions (number of opportunities for the campaign’s information to be seen) were generated. As a result, Puget Sound Energy saw enrollment increase by more than 3,300 customers from the beginning of the campaign, bringing enrollment up to more than 13,000. Snohomish County PUD and Tacoma Power also saw major increases in enrollment, to approximately 2,100 and 900 customers (up approximately 600 and 400 customers), respectively.

“The addition of more than 4,300 customers into the utilities’ green power programs benefits both the environment and the economy,” said Tom Starrs, vice president of marketing and sales for the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. “It’s a great deal. Participants in these voluntary programs pay a modest premium, on average about $3.00 to $6.00 a month, to support the generation of new renewable energy from projects in the Pacific Northwest. The impact of just these 4,300 additional participants is equivalent to not driving a car nearly 21.4 million miles a year.”

The Bonneville Environmental Foundation, a non-profit supplier of green energy resources to utilities, was also a partner in the recent campaign.

About BEF
The Bonneville Environmental Foundation, a non-profit organization, was established in 1998 to restore watershed ecosystems and further the development and use of new renewable energy resources. Through revenues generated from the sales of green power products, BEF funds projects that restore damaged watersheds and supports new renewable energy projects from solar, wind and biomass. BEF pioneered the sale of Green Tags in 2000 and has helped establish national standards for their certification and trading.

- end -

Contact Information

Bonneville Environmental Foundation
Bill Jeppesen, Effective PR, Inc.
916-941-7553
billjeppesen@b-e-f.org

Belo Marketing Solutions
Noreen King
(206) 448-3718
nking@king5.com

Puget Sound Energy
Tim Bader
888-831-7250
tim.bader@pse.com

Snohomish PUD
Bob Nicholas
425-783-1778
blnicholas@snopud.com

Tacoma Power
Mark Aalfs
253-502-8939
maalfs@cityoftacoma.org

Batdorf & Bronson
Lois Maffeo
360-754-5282 x132
lois@batdorf.com

# # #