D&E Green Enterprises Transforms Energy Industry In Resource-Constrained Haiti

NEW YORK, Sept. 20, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- D&E Green Enterprises is making a three-year commitment to manufacture and distribute 100,000 EchoRechos, the company's energy-efficient cookstoves specifically tailored to the local resources and needs of the Haitian market. The initiative, announced today at the 2011 Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) Annual Meeting, will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 100,000 tons, save 500,000 trees and create 130 additional jobs in Haiti.

After entering the Haitian market in November 2009, D&E has made major inroads with its environmentally friendly cookstoves, selling over 10,000 locally and directly employing 45 people. Company CEO, Duquesne Fednard, was quickly recognized for his innovative approach receiving Digicel's Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the environmental category and AIDG's Green Haiti Competition in 2010.

In addition to the EcoRecho, D&E is poised to deliver low-cost, carbon-neutral electricity across rural Haiti. The company is preparing to pilot small-scale gasification systems that use locally abundant agricultural waste to generate electricity for people living in rural areas at a fraction of the current cost of power from the grid. The gasification systems will be easily modifiable to accommodate the variety of agricultural waste products available in excess across the country's largely agrarian rural areas. For these resource-constrained communities, the introduction of affordable electricity will mean new opportunities for income generation and better access to educational and medical services, among other benefits.

"Electrification has the power to truly transform rural Haiti through empowering small businesses, households and students with this essential resource. The fact that D&E can achieve this cheaply and safely for the environment is really a win-win situation," explains Fednard.

Particularly after the devastation from the earthquake in 2010, D&E is providing much needed solutions to Haiti's struggles.  Prior to the disaster, charcoal was the primary cooking fuel for more than 95% of households and partly responsible for the rapid deforestation of the country. Today, only 1.5% of Haiti's forest remains. D&E's EcoRecho reduces charcoal consumption by 50%. Additionally, the stoves are manufactured entirely in Haiti using local raw materials and labor, which provide jobs and other business opportunities in a country where over 66% of the population is unemployed and 80% live below the poverty line.

D&E's introduction of low-cost electricity to rural communities will address the needs of the over 6 million Haitian citizens, or approximately 62% of the population, who reside in rural areas and rely mainly on subsistence farming. Haiti has the highest cost of electricity per kW in the Americas and the lowest grid penetration with less than 15% of the entire population having a dependable connection .

About D. & E. Green Enterprises
D&E is an award winning company seeking to break the cycle of energy poverty by specializing in the manufacture and distribution of low-cost, high-efficiency energy technologies for people living in the developing world. With its community centered approach D&E tailors its products and services to meet the specific needs of each target community. D&E is supported by the Appropriate Infrastructure Development Group (AIDG).

About the Clinton Global Initiative
Established in 2005 by President Bill Clinton, the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) convenes global leaders to devise and implement innovative solutions to some of the world's most pressing challenges. Since 2005, CGI Annual Meetings have brought together nearly 150 current and former heads of state, 18 Nobel Prize laureates, hundreds of leading CEOs, heads of foundations, major philanthropists, directors of the most effective nongovernmental organizations, and prominent members of the media. These CGI members have made more than 2,000 commitments, which have already improved the lives of 300 million people in more than 180 countries. When fully funded and implemented, these commitments will be valued in excess of $63 billion. The 2011 Annual Meeting will take place Sept. 20-22 in New York City.

This year, CGI also convened CGI America, a meeting focused on developing ideas for driving economic growth in the United States. The CGI community also includes CGI U, which hosts an annual meeting for undergraduate and graduate students, and CGI Lead, which engages a select group of young CGI members for leadership development and collective commitment-making. For more information, visit www.clintonglobalinitiative.org.

SOURCE D. & E. Green Enterprises