New Castle – New Castle County Executive Matt Meyer announced a strategic alliance with Constellation, a leading energy and energy solutions provider, for the purchase of renewable energy for 18 New Castle County facilities. Constellation was selected as New Castle County’s electricity supplier after a thorough bid process conducted by Ameresco, Inc., a leading cleantech integrator specializing in energy efficiency and renewable energy, on behalf of the County. New Castle County will continue to use energy from the electrical grid and support renewable energy sources by buying renewable energy certificates (RECs) equivalent to all of the use for those 18 facilities. [caption id="attachment_212412" align="aligncenter" width="1024"] Wind energy will power 18 New Castle County government buildings through June 2024. | PHOTO BY WALDEMAR BRANDT ON UNSPLASH[/caption] “This is an exciting day for New Castle County government as we take another step toward a greener New Castle County,” said County Executive Meyer in a statement to press. “Our goal is to reduce the carbon footprint associated with our energy use because it’s the right thing to do for future generations.” New Castle County will purchase RECs to match 100% of their electricity use at 18 locations through June 2024. The RECs supplied by Constellation are Green-e Energy Certified and sourced from wind energy facilities located in the lower 48 states. Each REC represents the positive environmental attributes of one megawatt hour (MWh) of electricity generated by a renewable power plant, and is retired on behalf of customers wishing to promote their environmental commitment. Buildings included in the program are the New Castle County’s Public Works headquarters, several pump stations and treatment plants, Rockwood Museum, the Public Safety Building, the New Castle County Government Center and the Gilliam Building. By making these strategic purchases, the County reduces our operating costs and supports the demand for new, clean, wind power. The transaction is estimated to save the County $77,440 annually during the contract’s term. “We are pleased to support the sustainability goals of our customers,” said Daniel J. Verbanac, senior vice president of retail for Constellation, in a statement. “The purchase of RECs demonstrates a sincere commitment to the environment and aligns with Constellation’s goal to help reduce pollution and curb carbon emissions through the use of clean renewable fuels.” New Castle County Executive Meyer has pushed government departments to explore ways to make New Castle County greener, such as: installation of five public access EV charging stations, purchase of five Chevy Bolts in 2020 as part of an electric vehicle pilot program with a plan to add another five EVs to the fleet and incorporating a 3.25kW, 350sq foot solar array on the rooftop of the new Appoquinimink Library and solar powered site lighting in the parking lot. Most recently, County Executive Meyer announced an open space conservation of more that 250 acres in the Port Penn area of New Castle that will protect critical marshland for native and migrating species.