PA Farm Show Is Climate Neutral Event With Family Dairy Farm Methane

Renewable energy from PA family dairy farms will offset carbon pollution, support agriculture, diversify energy supply, & help clean the environment.

Harrisburg, PA — Native Energy, a leading national renewable energy company, has announced that carbon pollution from this year's Pennsylvania Farm Show will be offset by energy from a Pennsylvania family dairy farm methane energy project. With its nonprofit partner Clean Air – Cool Planet, the company will also launch a new, nationwide program called CoolDriver^sm, which allows individuals to offset the environmental impacts of driving.

Energy to heat the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and power lights and equipment comes from fossil fuel sources, which means energy for the Farm Show will also produce about 298 tons of carbon dioxide (CO₂) pollution. Show organizers, in cooperation with Governor Rendell and the Departments of Agriculture and Environmental Protection have arranged for clean energy from a Pennsylvania dairy farm methane project to be put onto the grid to offset the global warming impact of energy used to power the Show. The impact will be the same as powering the Show with renewable energy or taking more than 2,580 cars off the road for a week.

"The Commonwealth is actually contributing directly to the construction of new renewable energy generators here in Pennsylvania, so this is truly a win-win-win situation for Pennsylvania, the family farms, and the environment," says Native Energy President & CEO Tom Boucher.

The major source of Show-related CO₂ will come from travel activities, and the new Cool Driversm program is designed to help drivers follow the Farm Show's lead and neutralize emissions generated by their trucks, SUVs, cars, buses, and trailers. While at the Farm Show drivers can offset the CO₂ from 500 miles of driving for $5, with contributions going to support new Pennsylvania family dairy farm methane projects and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation's Save the Bay campaign fund. Nationally and online, CoolDriver^sm contributions will help support new family farm and new tribal wind projects.

At 9:45 am on Saturday, Governor Rendell and Secretary of Agriculture Dennis Wolff will accept a certificate from Native Energy detailing the Farm Show's carbon offsets. Organizers hope their effort will encourage attendees, business leaders, and all drivers throughout the Commonwealth to think differently about their energy use and take action to offset their own emissions impact.

Native Energy customers help finance new projects by purchasing a share of the renewable energy credits the projects will generate over their operating lives, bringing critical revenues to the project up front. Helping to build these new projects will diversify our nation's energy supply and displace energy that otherwise would come from burning fossil fuels, thereby reducing CO₂ and other pollution.

SOURCE: Native Energy