Green Mountain Energy Partners with BMW to Support Clean Energy
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7/31/2012
AUSTIN, Texas -- BMW and Green Mountain Energy Company today announced their partnership to offer drivers of the BMW ActiveE the choice to support renewable energy for their cars. The ActiveE drivers, known as “Electronauts,” now have the opportunity to purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs) from Green Mountain to cover the estimated electricity that will be used to charge their electric vehicles (EVs).
Drivers of the BMW ActiveE can now support renewable energy every time they charge their electric vehicles.
“The partnership with Green Mountain is BMW’s next step to procure a sustainable mobility future for our ActiveE Electronauts,” said Rob Healey, EV Infrastructure Manager at BMW of North America. “We want to ensure all ActiveE drivers have the opportunity to source their energy needs from renewable generation, and this program is the perfect complement to BMW’s ActiveE solar offer. Based on their experience in renewable energy, Green Mountain is an ideal partner to support our mission.”
The ActiveE is an exclusive series driven by 700 Electronauts across five U.S. states. Each EV comes with a two-year lease and BMW uses the feedback from these drivers to develop premium, sustainable vehicles for the future.
As the world’s most sustainable automotive company, BMW offers more than just an emissions-free electric vehicle. BMW is now expanding the horizon of what electric mobility means by providing Electronauts with the resources to support clean energy with their cars.
“The majority of electricity in the U.S. is generated from non-renewable, fossil fuel sources, so EVs need to be powered with clean, renewable energy to be truly emissions-free,” said Scott Hart, president of Commercial Services for Green Mountain. “BMW is a thought leader in electric vehicle innovation, and their desire to ensure ActiveE drivers have the option to support renewable energy further demonstrates the company’s commitment to sustainability.”
The generation of electricity from non-renewable, fossil fuel sources, such as coal, is one of the largest sources of carbon dioxide (CO2), a primary greenhouse gas. For a one-time payment of $48, ActiveE drivers can purchase RECs to ensure the estimated amount of electricity that will be used to charge their vehicle during the lease period is replaced with renewable energy. ActiveE drivers who power their vehicles with renewable energy for the estimated mileage usage will offset 9,900 lbs of CO2 during the course of their two year lease, the equivalent of not driving 11,000 miles in a conventional gas-powered car.