2009 Verizon Heritage Golf Tournament to be Powered by 100% Local Renewable Green Power Energy
March 2, 2009
Hilton Head Island, SC – March 2, 2009 – The 2009 Verizon Heritage Golf Tournament announced today it is partnering with Palmetto Electric Cooperative and Santee Cooper to ‘go green’ for the first time. A full 100 percent of the electricity used at this year’s PGA TOUR event, April 13-19, will be powered with South Carolina renewable Green Power energy provided by local electricity provider Palmetto Electric Cooperative and state-owned utility Santee Cooper.
The PGA TOUR tournament will be held at the Harbour Town Golf Links on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Verizon Heritage will pay Palmetto Electric Cooperative for the cost of renewable Green Power for the duration of the 2009 tournament, making it one of the first PGA TOUR golf tournaments to do so. A Green Power booth will be located on the 18th fairway to educate spectators about the benefits of renewable energy and South Carolina residents can sign up to purchase Green Power at the booth throughout the tournament.
“We are thrilled to be a pioneer in promoting environmental stewardship at South Carolina’s most significant sporting event and one of the most prestigious golf tournaments in the country. We believe going green is the right thing to do, and this arrangement enables the Verizon Heritage to be a green leader in the sporting world. This year, our greens will be green in more ways than one!” said Steve Wilmot, Tournament Director for the Verizon Heritage.
“Palmetto Electric Cooperative is committed to developing as many initiatives as possible to maximize energy efficiency and educate customers on renewable energy,” said Tom Upshaw, President and Chief Executive Officer of Palmetto Electric Cooperative. “This partnership extends our renewable energy efforts and encourages others to sign up for Green Power as well.”
Renewable energy is an important part of meeting the growing electric needs across our state. Santee Cooper has been a leader in renewable energy since 2001. This innovative partnership continues our environmental leadership role in advancing local renewable energy in South Carolina,” said Lonnie Carter, president and chief executive officer of Santee Cooper.
In September 2001, Santee Cooper became the first electric utility in South Carolina to generate and offer renewable Green Power to its customers from methane gas collected at the Horry County Solid Waste Authority Landfill near Conway. Since then, three additional landfills in Lee, Anderson and Richland counties have opened, as has the 16 kilowatt solar installation at Coastal Carolina University. Another landfill methane gas generating site is under construction in Georgetown County. Santee Cooper, all 20 electric cooperatives, including Palmetto Electric Cooperative, and The City of Georgetown market Green Power to their customers.
Residents of South Carolina have been making the commitment to helping our environment by purchasing “blocks” of Green Power since 2001. The impact that these residents have on the environment is astounding. For just two dimes a day, Green Power has the environmental impact of:
• Not driving a car for almost three months
• Planting over 1/3 acre of trees for a year
Source: EPA: e-Grid SERC Subregion System Average
For more information on Green Power and to sign up for as little as $3 per month, visit www.scgreenpower.com.
The real winners of the Verizon Heritage are the thousands of people the tournament helps each year. The Heritage Classic Foundation, general tournament sponsor, distributes the proceeds of the annual PGA TOUR event to hundreds of non-profit organizations. Since it was founded as a 501 (c)(3) in 1987, the Foundation has donated close to $18.5 million to people in need.
Palmetto Electric Cooperative, a Touchstone Energy Company, serves approximately 65,000 consumers in Beaufort, Jasper and Hampton counties. For more information, visit www.palmetto.coop
Santee Cooper is South Carolina’s state-owned electric and water utility and the state’s largest power producer, supplying electricity to more than 163,000 retail customers in Berkeley, Georgetown and Horry counties, as well as 29 large industrial facilities, the cities of Bamberg and Georgetown, and the Charleston Air Force Base. Santee Cooper also generates the power distributed by the state’s 20 electric cooperatives to more than 700,000 customers in all 46 counties. Approximately 2 million South Carolinians receive their power directly or indirectly from Santee Cooper. The utility also provides water to 137,000 customers in Berkeley and Dorchester counties, and the town of Santee. For more information, visit www.SanteeCooper.com. For information on how Santee Cooper lives green and how you can go green, visit www.SanteeCooperGreen.com.
