Santa Clara, Calif. – February 1, 2005 – Silicon Valley Power (SVP), the City of Santa Clara’s municipal electric utility, launched its new renewable energy offering, Santa Clara Green Power, in November 2004. After three short months, an impressive 1.5% of the community--729 residential and business customers--has enrolled in the program, driving Santa Clara Green Power community participation above the national green pricing program average of 1.2% participation. With strong support for its new program, SVP is committed to reaching a 5% enrollment goal by November 1, 2005, the first anniversary of the program’s launch.

Santa Clara Green Power offers all Santa Clara residential and business electricity customers an easy and affordable way to support clean renewable energy through their utility bill. Each participant’s choice to pay a small additional cost of only a penny and a half per kilowatt-hour (1.5 cents/KWh) above the standard electricity rate, supports 100% clean wind and solar energy within California and their own community. SVP launched its renewable option in response to customer requests and to further increase the already large amount of renewable energy it supports.

“As a municipal utility, we are excited to distinguish ourselves by offering our customers the opportunity to choose a 100% renewable energy option that is easy, affordable and sustainable,” said Joyce Kinnear, Public Benefit Program Manager for Silicon Valley Power. “Our customers asked for an option, and this program allows them to make a choice about the type of electricity their dollars support.”

The 729 participants currently enrolled in Santa Clara Green Power pay the low additional program fee to fund renewable power generators to deliver wind and solar power to the regional power pool instead of non-renewable energy. As a result, over four million pounds of carbon dioxide emissions and other harmful particulate matter will be prevented from being released into the Earth’s atmosphere annually. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the environmental benefit is equivalent to planting 540 acres of forest, enough to cover almost 5% of the City of Santa Clara, or not driving the average passenger vehicle over 4.5 million miles each year.

"For a few dollars more a month I am helping my community by choosing cleaner, greener power,” said Santa Clara resident Victoria Luchangco. “It's a small contribution, but it makes a difference by helping SVP build a greener power supply.”

On behalf of Santa Clara Green Power program participants, SVP will purchase renewable energy credits from newly constructed wind farms and solar photovoltaic projects located within California. Additionally, a portion of the Santa Clara Green Power rate will support new solar facilities in the City of Santa Clara, such as the recently completed Haman Elementary School project, helping to bring new installations into the community. The average Santa Clara household using 470-kilowatt hours per month will pay an additional cost of only $7 per month to participate in the program. The actual cost will vary depending on monthly usage.

For many years, SVP has purchased clean hydroelectric and renewable generation and supports a broad range of energy conservation, energy efficiency and renewable generation programs. SVP currently purchase 26% of its energy from renewable energy resources.

Santa Clara utility customers can enroll in Santa Clara Green Power by signing up through the secure website at www.siliconvalleypower.com, sending an email that includes customer name, address, account and phone number to green@siliconvalleypower.com or by calling (408) 244-SAVE (7283).

3 Phases Energy Services, a California-based renewable energy company, supports SVP as its partner in developing the offering and in managing renewable energy purchases and marketing on behalf of the City.