March 2022 CarbonBetter® Impact Update
Every month we share the positive impact our customers have made through their use of CarbonBetter-certified 100% energy, which is included in every Provision clean energy supply plan. Each customer on these plans receives an email with their personal impact for the month, and this blog post reflects the impact all of our customers have made together since we became CarbonBetter-certified in October 2020.
We’re honored to be able to provide affordable clean energy that makes a real difference. Check out all of our past Impact Updates here!
Our Customers’ CarbonBetter Impact – March 2022 Update
66.7k
mWh
Provision customers have funded 66,674 mWh of clean energy generation, which could power 7,169 homes for a year.*
35.9k
tons
Provision customers have offset 35,988 tons of carbon, which is like avoiding over 89 million miles of driving.**
44.1k
trees
Provision customers have funded planting 44,110 trees, which may sequester 726 tons of carbon in their lifetime.***
Want to be included in our next impact update?
It’s easy to contribute to the positive impact we make each month. All Provision energy plans include CarbonBetter clean energy, which helps you make a difference automatically when you use energy at home.
Our customers help fund clean energy generation through renewable energy certificates, offset carbon through carbon credits, and plant trees to aid in reforestation and increase our natural carbon-capturing capabilities. It’s never too late to start using your energy for good.
Featured Provision Project: Smithland Hydroelectric Plant
Provision has purchased renewable energy certificates, or RECs, from the Smithland Hydroelectric Facility, which is a run-of-the-river power plant located near Smithland, Kentucky. The project adds 76 megawatts of renewable energy to the region by diverting water from the existing dam through bulb turbines. It is located approximately 62 miles upstream of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers, from where it derives power. The project generates an average annual output of 379 million kilowatt-hours of electricity, which is equivalent to powering 35,371 homes every year.
Source: Barnard Construction Company
100% renewable electricity is included automatically in every Provision electricity supply plan, and we use renewable energy certificates, or RECs, to deliver on our clean energy promise. Homes are connected to the power grid by transmission lines, and the electricity that’s supplied is derived from a variety of generation resources, both renewable and non-renewable. This is because when clean energy is generated and put on the grid, it’s mixed with other fuel sources there, making it difficult for environmentally conscious consumers to supply their homes with 100% clean energy.
Provision ensures more clean energy is put on the grid by funding renewable generators through the purchase of RECs. These certificates fund electricity generation equal to the volume consumed by Provision customers, thus leading to a cleaner grid and delivering on pour 100% clean energy promise. So far Provision customers helped fund over 66,000 mWh of renewable electricity using RECs.
American Municipal Power developed the Smithland Hydroelectric Plant on behalf of the 79 participating member communities as part of a bigger scheme of hydroelectric projects on the Ohio River. The construction was completed and entered operation in 2017 with the site including an intake approach channel, a reinforced concrete powerhouse, and a tailrace channel.
The dam naturally creates a high side and a low side. As water falls from the high side to the low side, the water moves downward. The power plant diverts a portion of the flowing water into the powerhouse, through rotors (like boat propellers) which spin the generators, making electricity that is renewable and emissions-free.
Hydroelectric power is the most prevalent form of renewable energy used to generate electricity today. It is often far more dependable than other forms of renewable generation. Before steam power and electricity were available, mills were powered directly with hydropower. There are currently about 1,500 hydropower plants in operation in the United States.
Source: Barnard Construction Company
Hydroelectric power is produced with moving water; the volume of the water flow and the change in elevation from one point to another determine the amount of available energy in moving water. In general, the greater the water flow and the higher the change in elevation, the more electricity the plant can produce. Run-of-the-river systems, like the Smithland Hydroelectric Plant, are a type of conventional hydroelectric facilities, where the force of the current puts pressure on turbines, spinning and powering the generators.
As a Provision customer, you’re funding projects like these that not only help you offset your carbon footprint as individuals but also contribute to a growing effort to make climate action accessible to all. Progress must be made by businesses, organizations, and individuals because we are all stakeholders in protecting our environment to create a more sustainable planet as our home. With Provision, we make it easy to use your energy for good.
Every Provision Customer Makes a Difference
About CarbonBetter Impact Calculations:
*The typical home in your area uses 9,300 kWh of electricity per year.
**https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gases-equivalencies-calculator-calculations-and-references#gasoline
***https://www.epa.gov/energy/greenhouse-gases-equivalencies-calculator-calculations-and-references#seedlings
Impact is calculated based on our customers’ billings in the impact month, but planting, funding, and offsetting may not happen in that month. These activities must align with planting seasons and project life cycles to be effective. If you have any questions, please contact us at hello@getprovision.com.
