Terex Utilities, a manufacturer of aerial devices and digger derricks for the electric utility industry and one of the top 10 energy consumers in Watertown, S.D., has purchased renewable energy certificates to support green power programs locally, the company said on Aug. 7.
Watertown Municipal Utilities is a member of South Dakota-based Missouri River Energy Services, a joint action agency.
A REC is created each time one megawatt-hour of renewable energy is generated and made available for consumption.
The RECs are verified and tracked by the Midwest Renewable Energy Tracking System as proof of the renewable energy generation, Terex noted, and have enabled Terex to reach 100% renewable energy consumption in Watertown.
Utilities use RECs to comply with state environmental standards and goals and can offer RECs to customers to offset any fossil fuels in their power supply mix.
Members of MRES, including Watertown Municipal Utilities, get most of their electricity from hydropower produced by dams on the Missouri River.
Watertown Municipal Utilities “has a great environmental story to tell because it provides customers with 79% carbon-free energy (3-year average),” said Tim Blodgett, MRES Vice President of Member Services and Communications, in a statement.
“MRES is happy to offer RECs as a way for Watertown customers to offset the portion of their electricity that comes from fossil fuels, making the electric usage, in effect, net-zero carbon,” he said.
