Renewable Energy
Renewable energy refers to wind energy, methane capture, solar, geothermal and other clean energy sources. Energy generated from clean sources like these reduce the need to generate that same energy from dirty sources like coal or gas.
Developing clean energy projects isn’t as cheap as building new coal power plants, at least not yet. That’s why it’s important for project developers to have access to additional streams of revenue other than the electricity they get to sell. That’s where Carbonfund.org donors come in. You help drive investment toward clean energy projects, lowering their cost and hastening the market transformation to a clean energy future!
In some cases, renewable energy developers sell the environmental benefit of their projects not as tons of CO2, but as Renewable Energy Certificates. When Carbonfund.org supports these projects, we examine the local energy grid’s carbon profile to determine exactly how much electricity from dirty sources the project is displacing. Carbon profiles for the entire country are updated each year by the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure accuracy.
> Click here for more information on project selection.
> Click here for more information on project certification.
Below are some of the projects Carbonfund.org donors are supporting:
Hancock County Wind Energy Center - Garner, Iowa
Developed by FPL Energy, the 98-megawatt Hancock County Wind Energy Center supplies clean, renewable energy to Alliant Energy, Corn Belt Power Cooperative, Cedar Falls Utilities and the city of Pella for their customers throughout the region. Construction of the 148 turbines, each about 213 feet tall measuring to the center of the blade hub, was completed in a remarkable 85 days. The Hancock County Wind Energy Center, which began commercial operation in December 2002, is FPL Energy’s second wind facility in Iowa.
SunEdison Solar Projects - Aliso Viejo, Stockton, Ontario, and Anderson, Cali.
This project is changing the way companies and individuals buy solar energy. By paying for the initial investment and maintenance of the solar panels and maintaining ownership, SunEdison only requires its customers to pay for the electricity to take advantage of 100 percent clean energy. As North America’s largest solar energy services provider, SunEdison is helping California businesses and schools retrofit their buildings with photovoltaic solar panels.
New Bedford Landfill Methane - New Bedford, Mass.
Owned and developed by CommonWealth Resource Management, the 3.3 megawatt New Bedford Landfill Methane renewable energy plant uses otherwise-wasted landfill gas to generate clean energy while preventing methane, a greenhouse gas much more potent than carbon dioxide, from venting into the atmosphere. Known as the Greater New Bedford LFG Utilization Facility, the plant generates approximately 26 million kWh of electricity a year for use by the region.
North Country Landfill Methane - Portsmouth, NH
The North Country landfill methane facility safely and effectively disposes of up to 7,200 gallons of landfill leachate a day from a municipal solid waste landfill in northern New Hampshire. The project prevents a potent greenhouse gas, methane, from being released into the atmosphere, while helping to protect the area’s groundwater quality. The project is operated by CommonWealth Bethlehem Energy LLC, a CommonWealth Resources Management subsidiary.
Horse Hollow Wind Energy Center - Wingate, Texas
The largest wind farm in the world, Horse Hollow is spread across approximately 47,000 acres in Taylor County and Nolan County in Texas. The facility includes 291 GE 1.5 megawatt wind turbines and 130 Siemens 2.3 megawatt wind turbines for a total 735.5 megawatt capacity. In addition to Horse Hollow, the project developer, FPL Energy, operates 46 other wind farms throughout the U.S. with enough capacity to provide electricity for 1 million homes.
Two Dot Wind Farm - Billings, Mont.
The Two Dot Wind Farm, located in Billings Montana, uses 12 refurbished 65-kilowatt turbines. Engineering firm Matney-Frantz constructed and helped install the turbines and towers, and in December 2004 eleven turbines began selling energy wholesale to Northwestern Energy. One turbine provides direct power to Montana’s communal Martinsdale Colony, allowing them to save between 20 and 30 percent on electricity costs. The project was developed by Two Dot Wind LLC.
Iowa Lakes Community College Wind Farm - Estherville, Iowa
The Iowa Lakes Community College’s Wind Energy and Turbine Program was started in 2004 in response to a growing need in Iowa for skilled technicians to install, maintain and service modern wind turbines. Students work on the project as part of a hands-on curriculum leading to the community college’s two-year Associate in Science degree. The 230-foot tall structure generates approximately 1.65 megawatts of clean energy. It is located near the college’s Estherville Campus.
Inland Empire Utilities Agency Biodigester - Chino Basin, Cali.
Biodigesters capture the methane generated by manure and transform it into a clean, renewable energy source. The biodegester operated by the Inland Empire Utilities Agency in the Chino Basin collects manure from ten area dairy farms and is responsible for reducing more than 8,000 tons of CO2e from the atmosphere every year, while also protecting the quality of the region’s groundwater.
Upstate New York Solid Waste Management - Upstate New York
This facility captures methane emitted by a landfill and converts it into CO2 and heat. The CO2 is twenty-three times less potent as a greenhouse gas than the methane, while the heat will help power a local greenhouse. Owned by the Development Authority of the North Country, the project provides efficient, environmentally responsible waste disposal for four counties in upstate New York.