The Language of Flowers buys Blue Sky to be more sustainable
November 30, 2009
SALT LAKE CITY — When customers drive up to the Language of Flowers coffee window, they see Lisa Sieg’s Blue Sky renewable energy sticker proudly affixed to the glass.
The Language of Flowers florist and coffee shop, located at 2421 E. Parley’s Way in Salt Lake City, is offsetting 100 percent of its energy use with Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky renewable energy. Her store operates as a full-service florist: decorating weddings and events, making special deliveries, and selling lots of unique items and gifts. Its drive-thru coffee window is an added feature.
“I think that as new businesses, we have an extra responsibility to open ours in a more sustainable way,” Sieg said. “I found out about Blue Sky through my monthly bill, and I encourage everyone to do it.”
Blue Sky provides Rocky Mountain Power customers an easy way to support wind-powered generation and other renewable energy facilities in the region. The Language of Flowers is buying 13 blocks of Blue Sky renewable energy per month, making it a champion-level participant. Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky is sold in 100 kilowatt-hour block increments for as little as $1.95 per month.
“Over 12 months, The Language of Flowers is buying enough Blue Sky to avoid more than 9 tons of carbon dioxide, which has the environmental benefit of planting 819 trees or not driving a car more than 19,000 miles,” said Alene Bentley, customer and community manager for Rocky Mountain Power.
When a customer enrolls in Blue Sky, the company purchases Green-e Energy-certified renewable energy certificates on their behalf from wind energy facilities in the region. Blue Sky funds also help support the development of smaller projects in local communities that can include wind, solar, geothermal, low-emission biomass or other certified renewable energy sources. About 31,260 Rocky Mountain Power customers in Utah, Wyoming and Idaho currently buy Blue Sky renewable energy.
Separate from Blue Sky, Rocky Mountain Power is investing in cost-effective renewable energy to serve its customers through company-owned generation and renewable energy purchases. Electricity from wind energy facilities increases the diversity of Rocky Mountain Power’s generation portfolio, which also includes coal, natural gas, hydroelectric and geothermal sources. Through the Blue Sky program, the company and its customers are working together to support the development of even more renewable energy resources.
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Rocky Mountain Power
Rocky Mountain Power is headquartered in Salt Lake City and provides electric service to more than 982,000 customers in Utah, Wyoming and Idaho. As part of PacifiCorp, one of the lowest-cost electricity producers in the United States, Rocky Mountain Power and Pacific Power provide approximately 1.7 million customers in six Western states with reliable, efficient energy. The company works to meet growing energy demand while protecting and enhancing the environment. Visit www.rockymountainpower.net.
Blue Sky
Blue Sky was named 2007 Green Power Program of the Year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory ranks the company’s Blue Sky program third in the nation in the number of customers buying renewable power, and third in the nation for renewable power sales volume. To learn more about Blue Sky or to sign up, visit www.rockymountainpower.net/bluesky or call
1-800-769-3717.
Media inquiries: 800-775-7950
