American Farms Joining the Renewable Energy Movement
The number of farms producing clean energy is increasing dramatically
Stamford, CT – March 7, 2011 - For hundreds of years America’s farms have been the backbone of food production in this country. Now it appears an increasing number of farms are also producing another critical resource – energy.
The number of farms and ranches producing their own renewable energy has increased dramatically over the past decade according to a new survey released last week by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service. The survey is the first-ever nationwide look at renewable energy production and practices on America’s farms and ranches. According to the On-Farm Renewable Energy Production Survey there are now 8,569 operations producing their own renewable energy in the form of solar panels, wind turbines and methane digesters.
The growing movement by America’s farms to join the Renewable Energy cause is reason to celebrate according to one of the nation’s leading independent energy providers.
“What we need in this nation is a movement on all fronts to look at our energy production and to find ways to reduce consumption and become as efficient as possible,” says Jeffrey Mayer, MXenergy President and CEO. “America’s farms represent America itself and to see this cornerstone of American Industry making a significant change to more renewable energy production is a sign of success for us all.”
Since its inception in 1999, MXenergy has demonstrated a true commitment to energy efficiency and sustainability. Recently achieving its third year of carbon neutrality, the company has continually worked with customers to reduce their environmental impact. MXenergy offers a program for customers to offset the emissions associated with their utility purchases. In 2007 MXenergy launched the Earth Friendly Partnership for customers to join the fight against global warming, enabling them to make their homes and businesses carbon-neutral by also purchasing CCX afforestation offsets.
Mayer says he expects the movement towards On-Farm renewable energy to continue.
“Research shows that not only is on-farm renewable energy good for our planet, it is good for our wallets as well,” continues Mayer. “Many farms report seeing a reduction in utility bills after transitioning to on-farm renewable energy production and for that reason alone I expect the growth will continue.”
The majority of energy producing farms utilized solar panels, followed by wind turbines and then methane digesters. California led the way with 1,956 operations producing renewable energy. Texas, Hawaii and Colorado also reported strong renewable energy participation.
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About MXenergy
MXenergy is one of the fastest growing retail natural gas and electricity suppliers in North America, serving approximately 500,000 customers in 41 utility territories in the United States and Canada. For over 11 years, the company has provided millions of customers with a choice in how they purchase energy to run their homes and businesses. Founded in 1999 to provide natural gas and electricity to consumers in deregulated energy markets, MXenergy helps residential customers and small business owners control their energy bills by providing both fixed and variable rate plans. MXenergy is committed to best practices in environmental conservation, supporting local communities through various outreach programs and is a member of the Chicago Climate Exchange. For more information MXenergy please visit www.mxenergy.com.
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