(WEB HOST INDUSTRY REVIEW) — The largest web hosting and colocation provider in the Northeast Pennsylvania region, BurstNET Technologies (www.burst.net), has purchased Green-e Energy (www.green-e.org) certified, renewable wind energy certificates from Community Energy, Inc. (www.newwindenergy.com) to match 100 percent of its electricity needs.
By purchasing five million kilowatt hours worth of wind power, according to a Thursday announcement from Scranton, Pennsylvania-based BurstNET, the company will offset the release of approximately 3,591 metric tons (almost 8 million pounds) of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, the equivalent of removing 650 vehicles from the road.
While buying carbon offsets have come under fire within the industry because, at their worst, they let companies use money to clean up their image, without having to reduce their own carbon emissions or directly use renewable energy sources, however, many argue that a carbon offset program – at the very least – makes a company conscious of its ecological footprint, and it is sometimes the only option for businesses that cannot access renewable access in their area.
BurstNET’s carbon offset purchases fund a variety of local wind power projects, including the Waymart Wind Farm, and other wind farms across the US. As well, BurstNET is actively involved in environmental initiatives including energy usage reduction and recycling, which have already reduced BurstNET’s electricity consumption by an estimated 13 percent, with additional reduction currently being implemented.
“We found it important to step up as a leader in our industry, and to do our part for the environment,” BurstNET chief executive officer Shawn M Arcus said in a statement. “We are proud to say that we are 100 percent powered by the wind, and one of the first data centers globally to do so. This purchase, along with other eco-friendly business practices, demonstrates our continued commitment to protecting the environment.”
BurstNET has also recently joined the US Environmental Protection Agency’s Green Power Partnership Program, a voluntary program that encourages organizations to buy green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with purchased electricity use.
EPA climate protection partnerships director Kathleen Hogan said the US is adopting a “green culture,” as more businesses take steps to combat global warming. “EPA commends BurstNET for making a long-term commitment to protecting the environment by purchasing green power,” Hogan said in a statement.
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