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VIA helps clean the air with Windtricity
Posted:
7/22/2009
VIA Metropolitan Transit is now using wind-generated electricity for all of its power needs.
At a press conference held at the Frank L. Madla Transit Center, VIA announced its agreement with CPS Energy to become the first public agency in San Antonio to get 100 percent of its power from Windtricity. This agreement will supply VIA with wind power from turbines set up in West Texas for a period of twelve months, and VIA will end up purchasing about 10-megawatt hours of Windtricity. As a result of this agreement, CPS Energy has named VIA a “Platinum” level Windtricity business partner.
As VIA gets its power from wind instead of from coal-fired plants, approximately 7,180 metric tons of carbon dioxide will be removed from the atmosphere, which will have the same effect as taking 1,325 cars off the roadways.
In addition to the Windtricity agreement, VIA is also exploring the use of solar power whenever possible. The agency’s newest shelters have solar panels to power lighting, and the Madla Transit Center is equipped with a solar installation that provides power to the facility. This set-up helps save approximately 14,300 kilowatt-hours per year, and it has earned VIA a $26,919 rebate from CPS Energy.
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