Business customers value green power
Our customers recognize the value of making smart choices to protect the environment. Businesses of all types and sizes have improved their environmental footprint. Purchasing renewable energy from MGE helps them achieve that goal.
MGE launched Green Power Tomorrow in January. Customers can select the level of renewable energy they want to buy. They pay a monthly premium for adding renewables to their energy mix. Participants in Green Power Tomorrow make a positive impact on the environment.
"Being part of Green Power Tomorrow is an investment for customers—whether they are a large company or a small business, whether they purchase 100% green power or a smaller amount," said Jesse Shields, marketing representative - Commercial/Industrial Marketing. "Improving their environmental footprint is a team project. By working together we can make a difference."
Tim Metcalfe, owner Metcalfe's Sentry, sees buying green power as investing in a resource that his customers value.Program participants
Customers buy green power for many reasons—to be a good environmental steward, to attract customers or to join an effort that is important in their industry. Some of the customers who participate in MGE's voluntary Green Power Tomorrow program share their stories and explain why they chose to offset 100% of their electricity-generated emissions.
Metcalfe's Sentry at Hilldale Mall has been active in the community and with local green efforts for many years. Sentry was one of the earliest participants in MGE's first green pricing program—buying a small amount of green power for the last nine years. "When we learned we could purchase 100% green power for our newly expanded 65,000-square-foot facility, it was a no-brainer," said store owner Tim Metcalfe.
"We want our actions to reflect the values of our customers—and our customers are environmentally conscious," he said. "They want recycled bags, and we offer them. They want locally grown products that require less transportation to get to market, and we buy from many local producers.
Our customers want a clean, healthy environment, and we are doing our part by participating in MGE's Green Power Tomorrow."
Grocers need a lot of energy for refrigeration and lighting. Sentry is no exception. The company uses more than 3.7 million kilowatt-hours of electricity each year to operate its store, which is open 24 hours a day. "It will add about 10% to our electric bill, so it's definitely an investment for us to buy 100% green power," Metcalfe said. "However, we view it as investing the rewards our customers give us by patronizing us—we're putting the money back into something they value."
Green power is a new addition to the "environmental menu" at Ian's Pizza in downtown Madison.
"We opted to go with 100% green power at both of our restaurants—State Street and Frances Street," said Staci Fritz, office manager. "When people ask why, we tell them because improving our environmental footprint is at the core of our vision—a vision we have worked hard to develop and get our whole team to agree on." Ian's regularly recycles materials in the restaurant and encourages customers to do the same.
"However, participating in Green Power Tomorrow is a way to make an impact on a broader scale," Fritz said. "Sure, it will cost us more for energy in the short term, probably about $300 each month. But we're thinking about the future—and we want to be part of the solution for making it greener."
Pigwick Papers, LLC (d/b/a Bob's Copy Shop) on University Avenue in Madison is another small business that realizes today's efforts will impact the future.
"We know there will be a long-term benefit to buying green power," said Carl Pigott, co-owner of the family-run business. "It was an easy decision to work with MGE to help eliminate carbon dioxide emissions and be kinder to the environment."
Pigott's friend has a wind turbine on his farm, which piqued Pigott's interest in using wind to produce electricity. "That's when I began learning about how the wind process works and the benefits of renewable energy," Pigott said. "Buying green power makes a lot of sense. It's better for the environment, and it will eventually become even more economical than it is today."
Pigott makes an effort to encourage other business people to consider purchasing green power.
"It's everyone's responsibility—and the right thing to do," he said.
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