To celebrate Earth Day 2009, GE Energy is reinforcing its commitment to a greener America and cleaner energy for the planet.
“As a company, we support President Obama’s vision to double our nation’s renewable energy production in the next three years, a goal that can be realized with the help of supportive government policies. To meet that goal, we are investing in advanced technologies that will ensure the efficient use of energy resources in environmentally sensitive ways,” said John Krenicki, vice chairman of GE and president and CEO of GE Energy Infrastructure.
“Energy security can best be achieved by diversification of geographic sources, fuel types and technologies. Government policy to encourage a broad spectrum of energy sources, uses and technologies is vital to achieve this goal,” Krenicki added.
GE Energy offers one of the industry’s most comprehensive portfolios of renewable and alternative energy technology options. The versatility of GE technology is illustrated by innovative applications such as these:
· Cow Power: A cogeneration plant at a Wisconsin dairy is generating power and heat, using biogas from cow manure digestion as fuel for a GE Jenbacher gas engine installed at the site.
· Power on the Slopes: A GE Energy 1.5-megawatt wind turbine provides approximately one-third of the power for the Jiminy Peak ski resort in western Massachusetts. Jiminy Peak is the first mountain resort in North America to generate its own power from the wind.
· Power in Paradise: GE Energy wind turbines are generating power on the island of Hawaii (the Big Island). Located on the southern tip of Hawaii, with its strong prevailing eastern trade winds, this project is a virtual laboratory for the integration of wind power into the grid.
· Sunshine and Wine: The first 100 percent solar-powered winery in California’s Napa Valley installed a GE Energy solar electric power system. Energy cost savings are expected to equal the cost of the system within 7-8 years.
· Save the Bay: A wastewater treatment plant in Frederick County, Maryland is using GE technology to help restore and protect water quality in the Chesapeake Bay. The plant is meeting some of the toughest wastewater discharge standards in the U.S.
In recent years, GE’s renewable energy business has expanded dramatically, to keep up with growing U.S. and global demand for cleaner production of energy. Since entering the renewable energy industry in 2002, GE has invested more than $850 million in renewable energy technology and production. Today, GE’s renewable energy businesses, which include solar, wind and Jenbacher engines using waste gases, employ more than 4,900 people globally and have created more than 10,000 sub-supplier jobs.
Many GE Energy technologies are certified under ecomagination, a corporate-wide commitment launched by GE in 2005 to help customers meet their environmental challenges. “Earth Day is an appropriate time to recognize the success of this initiative,” said Krenicki, noting that over the past three years, GE has realized $53 billion in revenue for ecomagination-certified products and services.
“This demonstrates that green can be green – helping to improve the environment also is good for business.”
About GE Energy
GE Energy is one of the world’s leading suppliers of power generation and energy delivery technologies, with 2008 revenue of $29.3 billion. Based in Atlanta, GE Energy works in all areas of the energy industry including coal, oil, natural gas and nuclear energy; renewable resources such as water, wind, solar and biogas; and other alternative fuels. Numerous GE Energy products are certified under ecomagination, GE’s corporate-wide initiative to aggressively bring to market new technologies that will help customers meet pressing environmental challenges.