May 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 – May 2022 Update
73.2k
mWh
Provision customers have funded 73,161 mWh of clean energy generation, which could power 7,866 homes for a year.*
45.1k
tons
Provision customers have offset 45,128 tons of carbon, which is like avoiding over 112 million miles of driving.**
51.8k
trees
Provision customers have funded planting 51,830 trees, which may sequester 855 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.
May 2022 Impact Update: Albano Machado and Rio dos Índios CDM Project
Albano Machado and Rio dos Índios are small hydro plants (SHP) located in Trindade do Sul and Nonoal cities in Brazil. They are part of the United Nations’ Clean Development Mechanism, a UN carbon offset initiative. The hydro plants generate renewable energy by diverting water from the existing dam through bulb turbines. The project offsets the use of fossil fuels that would be burned in thermoelectric generating units and helps to attend the rising energy demand in Brazil. The SHPs reduce an annual average of 12,474 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide, which is equivalent to eliminating carbon emissions from roughly 31 million miles driven by a gasoline-powered vehicle.
Picture of SHPs Albano Machado and Rio dos Índios CDM Project (Source: UN Climate Change)
The Clean Development Mechanism is a United Nations program that allows countries to fund and purchase credits from greenhouse gas emissions-reducing projects in other countries and claim the saved emissions as part of their own effort to meet international emissions targets. In addition to offsetting carbon footprints, the project also contributes to better working conditions and creates job opportunities in the rural areas in small cities where the project is located. It also supports and strengthens the local economy of the Rio Grande do Sul State in Brazil.
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. 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.
Hydropower is one of the oldest sources of energy in the US. Before steam power and electricity were available, substantial mills were powered directly with hydropower. There are about 1,500 hydropower plants in operation in the United States. As a Provision customer, you are funding projects like these that not only help you offset your carbon footprint as individuals but also contribute to a bigger and growing conversation and movement of climate action. Progress will be shared among businesses, organizations, and many other individuals because as a society, we are all stakeholders in protecting our environment to create a more sustainable planet as our home.
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.
