Green Power Leadership

Wind Power FAQs

  1. What is WGES CleanStepsSM WindPower?
  2. Why upgrade to WGES CleanStepsSM WindPower?
  3. Where does WGES CleanStepsSM WindPower come from?
  4. How does WGES CleanStepsSM WindPower improve regional air quality?
  5. Will I have to get new power lines or install special equipment to receive WGES CleanStepsSM WindPower?
  6. Will I get a separate bill from WGES?
  7. Will wind power cause any service interruptions?

  1. What is WGES CleanStepsSM WindPower?

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    WGES CleanStepsSM WindPower is an exciting electricity option, featuring wind energy from regional wind farms. Wind power is the world's fastest-growing energy resource. It helps reduce your carbon footprint by lowering emissions of harmful greenhouse gases that are generated by other energy sources. Reduced emissions decrease air pollution and its effects, like smog and acid rain.

    All WGES electricity supplies include 5% or 3.5% wind power for residential and small commercial customers, respectively. Residential and small commercial customers who want to make a greater impact on the health of our environment can choose WGES CleanStepsSM WindPower at the 50% or 100% levels.

    To learn how your large commercial business can purchase green power, call 703.793.7578.

  2. Why upgrade to WGES CleanStepsSM WindPower?

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    Stewardship of our environment begins at home. Take an important step in this direction with 50% WGES CleanStepsSM WindPower. When you choose 50% WGES CleanStepsSM WindPower you can help protect our environment AND pay about the same price as what you're paying now.

    Or make a bigger impact with 100% WGES CleanStepsSM WindPower. Your annual impact on the environment will be equivalent to taking one car off the road for one year.*

    Even better, the impact you'll make on our environment is local. All of our wind power for residential and small commercial customers is purchased within our region's electrical transmission grid, which serves 13 states and the District of Columbia. This means the benefits of using wind power — such as improved air quality and more jobs — remain in your community.

    *Based on typical annual household usage of 10,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh).

  3. Where does WGES CleanStepsSM WindPower
    come from?

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    WGES CleanStepsSM WindPower comes entirely from wind — and wind is one of the cleanest energy sources. In recent years, we purchased wind power from regional wind farms located in Illinois, Pennsylvania and West Virginia.

    A wind farm is a group of wind turbines that produce electricity when wind turns the turbines.

  4. How does WGES CleanStepsSM WindPower improve regional air quality?

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    Wind power displaces power from oil, natural gas or coal and avoids the environmental and health impacts associated with drilling, mining, transporting and burning non-renewable fuels. The more wind power you use, the more you'll help decrease the emissions produced from these carbon-based fuels.

  5. Will I have to get new power lines or install special equipment to receive WGES CleanStepsSM WindPower?

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    No special equipment is needed. You will receive your electricity as you have always done from your utility company. Your utility company will continue to provide emergency and other services, as well.

  6. Will I get a separate bill from WGES?

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    You will continue to receive your monthly electricity bill from your current utility, with WGES charges itemized separately on the same bill.

  7. Will wind power cause any service interruptions?

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    WGES CleanStepsSM WindPower won't cause interruptions in your electricity service. You'll benefit from the same reliability of service you've come to expect. Your utility company will continue to maintain distribution systems.

What is an EPA Green Power Community?

epa green power partnership

All across the country communities are pledging to reduce their carbon footprint by joining the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Green Power Community Challenge (GPC). The Green Power Community Challenge is a national, year-long campaign that encourages communities to use renewable energy. Communities will compete to see which one can achieve the highest green power percentage of total electricity used and which one can use more green power overall. The EPA will announce the two winning communities in September 2011.

Rockville's Challenge

WGES is your partner in meeting your community's green power challenge goals.

On February 28, 2011 the Rockville mayor and City Council agreed unanimously to partner with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to become an EPA Green Power Community and has issued a challenge to all residents and businesses to switch to green power. Rockville is challenging its businesses and residents to purchase 65.8 million kWh from green sources, or 3% of the community's total electricity use. This is the equivalent of taking 8,500 cars off the road for one year!

To read about Rockville's participation in the GPC challenge, click here.

WGES is helping Rockville's residents and businesses do their part to meet their green power goals. Click here to learn how you can go green with WGES CleanStepsSM WindPower!

To learn how your large commercial business can purchase green power, call 703.793.7578.

* Unsure if you qualify as a small business? Click here.

DC's Challenge

The Nation's #1 Green Power Community!

WGES is your partner in meeting your community's green power challenge goals.

On March 18, District of Columbia officials announced that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recognized the nation's capital as the leading EPA Green Power Community. District Government, businesses, institutions and residents collectively purchase nearly 756 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually, or 8% of the District's total electricity usage. This is the equivalent of taking 102,000 cars off the road for one year!

To maintain its #1 position, the District is challenging its residents, businesses and organizations citywide to increase their green power purchases by 33% by August 31, 2011 to more than 1 billion kWh annually!

WGES is helping DC's residents and businesses do their part to meet their green power goals. Click here to learn how you can go green with WGES CleanStepsSM WindPower!

To learn how your large commercial business can purchase green power, call 703.793.7578.

* Unsure if you qualify as a small business? Click here.

About LEED

university of maryland

Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is an internationally recognized green building certification program by the non‐profit U.S. Green Building Council. LEED is a national framework used for certifying high performance, sustainable buildings. There are currently four levels of LEED certifications: Certified, Silver, Gold and Platinum. The number of points a project can receive for their purchase of Renewable Energy Credits varies based on the project type.

As a WGES CleanStepsSM WindPower customer, you can use your purchase of Green‐e Energy certified Renewable Energy Credits to earn LEED certification points. To learn more about LEED, visit www.usbgc.org or contact your Account Manager.