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Press Release / News Release / Media Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ruggles Green and GREEN POWER 4 TEXAS Put Lid on Texas Heat Wave
Houston, Texas based restaurant Ruggles Green and energy broker GREEN POWER 4 TEXAS encourage development of renewable energy generation with 111 percent green power purchase, offsetting more than Ruggles Green's yearly electricity-related emissions. REC purchase was final step for Ruggles Green's CityCentre location to become the first 4-Star Certified Green Restaurant® in Texas.
 HOUSTON, TX — August 8, 2011 — HowToGreenRestaurants.com - This month, Texas shattered all-time highs for daily electricity usage, and the Electricity Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) even initiated a Level 1 electricity emergency, asking Texans to conserve daily from 3-7 p.m. Ruggles Green and its Houston-based fast casual restaurants responded by cooking up a powerful green dish to beat the heat.
 Texas’ first 4-Star Certified Green Restaurant® and one of only four in the world, Ruggles Green more than offset its Texas restaurants’ electricity-related emissions over the next year with Renewable Energy Credits. These RECs match 111 percent of the electricity used at its healthy, fast-casual restaurants in Texas with Green-e Energy Certified Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs).
Purchased by Ruggles Green’s electricity broker and energy management consultant GREEN POWER 4 TEXAS from 3Degrees, these RECs represent the generation of 750 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity from renewable resources, such as wind, solar, geothermal, biomass or low-impact hydro. By displacing the need to generate electricity using fossil fuels, the RECs retired on behalf of Ruggles Green will prevent harmful emissions, and help put a lid on Texas’ heat wave and persistent ozone alerts.
Food service establishments -- restaurants -- are the most intensive users of electricity per square foot among all commercial building types. So, the nation’s 220,000 full-service restaurants, like Ruggles Green in Houston, Texas -- the restaurant capital, medical capital, and energy capital of the world – could take a huge bite out of greenhouse gas emissions, unhealthy air quality, and climate change.
 “Supporting the development of clean, renewable energy resources cost less than one percent of Ruggles Green’s all-in cost of electricity. So, with this green power purchase, we hope to inspire other Texas restaurants and businesses, and show just how simple, meaningful and affordable it is to create a healthy, sustainable Texas,” said Certified Energy Manager® Mark Alan Robinson at GREEN POWER 4 TEXAS.
Fortunately, Texans’ voluntary REC purchases have jumped repeatedly from 6.77 million RECs in 2008 to 8.94 million RECs in 2009 (an increase of 32 percent) to 11.83 million RECs in 2010 (up 45 percent). Supported in part by voluntary REC purchases, Texas continues to add to its wind power generation assets, leading every other state.
Ruggles Green’s green power complements and completes its other Green Restaurant Certification strategies, including best practices in the areas of sustainable food, water efficiency, energy conservation and efficiency, chemical and pollution reduction waste reduction and recycling, recycled and biobased disposables, and sustainable furnishings and building materials.
Based on calculations from the EPA’s free, online Green Power Equivalency Calculator, Ruggles Green’s green power commitment will create healthy outdoor air for its patrons by avoiding more than 500 metric tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent (CO2-e) greenhouse gas emissions that would have been released if fossil fuels were combusted to generate 111 percent of Ruggles Green’s annual electricity. This amount of CO2-e emissions is equivalent to the greenhouse gas emissions from over 100 passenger vehicles per year, or the annual CO2-e emissions from the electricity at about 65 average American homes.
“3Degrees congratulates GREEN POWER 4 TEXAS for helping its green business clients like Ruggles Green to improve Houston’s air quality – an appropriate pairing with these restaurants’ local, natural and organic fast-casual dining experience,” said Steve McDougal, Vice President of Marketing and Business Development at 3Degrees. “Through this green energy commitment, Ruggles Green and GREEN POWER 4 TEXAS are accelerating the development of a more sustainable, carbon-neutral economy and a healthier nation.”
For more information about the healthiest, most economical, and practical green business, green building and green energy best practices, call 877-ECO-TEXAS or email research@greenbestpractices.com.
About Ruggles Green
Formed in late 2008, Ruggles Green is Houston's first Certified Green Restaurant®. In 2011, Ruggles Green at CityCentre also became Texas’ first 4-Star Certified Green Restaurant, the Green Restaurant Association’s highest level of certification. Chef Bruce Molzan, "the cook", Federico Marques, "the green guy," and Robert Guillerman, cooked up this innovative health food restaurant for Houstonians from their shared desires for delectable, healthy, organic, all natural foods and wines, a great dining atmosphere, and creating a healthy, sustainable Houston one morsel and meal at a time. Ruggles Green is a premium fast casual restaurant with no waiters, no valets, and no hassles. Just great food that is good for you.
About 3Degrees
3Degrees' mission is to mitigate the effects of climate change by accelerating the development of a low-carbon, renewable energy economy. 3Degrees realizes this mission by helping its utility, business, green building and other partners utilize environmental markets to build stakeholder value. Through these partnerships, 3Degrees increases demand for renewable energy and carbon offsets, channels capital to renewable energy and carbon reduction projects and improves the efficiency of environmental markets. Winner of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Green Power Leadership Award four straight years, 3Degrees is headquartered in San Francisco’s Presidio and operates regional offices in Portland, St. Louis and Seattle. To learn more, visit www.3degreesinc.com.
About Momentum Bay’s GREEN POWER 4 TEXAS
GREEN POWER 4 TEXAS (www.greenpower4texas.com) is a Texas-based energy procurement and full-service energy management consulting firm focused on sustainability. The firm procures and manages energy for primarily green businesses and green buildings, particularly those pursuing LEED, ENERGY STAR and Designed to Earn the ENERGY STAR certification. To learn more about GREEN POWER 4 TEXAS’ à la carte and integrated service offerings – including energy strategy, energy demand, energy supply (offsite and onsite procurement), energy marketing and communications, and energy monitoring, visit:
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