Newsweek Names Iberdrola Most Sustainable Spanish Utility

NEW GLOUCESTER, Maine, Aug. 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Newsweek recently acknowledged IBERDROLA, the corporate parent of Iberdrola USA, as the most sustainable Spanish utility and the third-most sustainable utility worldwide, according to rankings drawn up by the magazine in collaboration with Corporate Knights Capital.

The award sponsors ranked IBERDROLA as one of the top three Spanish companies with the most respect for sustainable development and also commended the Company for its efforts to reduce emissions, increase energy efficiency, and improve reporting on environmental progress.

"We are proud to be part of a global leader in sustainability," said Bob Kump, CEO of Iberdrola USA Networks. "These values are shared by Iberdrola subsidiaries around the world, especially here in the United States where our operating companies have long legacies of environmental stewardship." 

"In Maine, at CMP, for example, it's reflected in the way we manage the vegetation in our corridors; our smart meters, which reduce our vehicle CO2 emissions by 1,400 tons annually and help consumers save energy; and our efforts to encourage wider use of electric vehicles by non-profit organizations, businesses, and municipal vehicle fleets," said Kump.

CMP also is working with PhD students at the University of Maine to study vernal pools, is installing kestrel nesting boxes along transmission corridors, and regularly relocates osprey nests away from transmission structures to ensure the birds' safety and improve power-system reliability.

Iberdrola Renewables, an operating division of Iberdrola USA, is America's second-largest generator of renewable energy. "IBERDROLA is the world leader in the production of renewable energy, making significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions," said Martin Mugica, president and CEO of Iberdrola Renewables. "With an operating fleet of nearly 5,500 MW of wind and solar generation, Iberdrola Renewables accounts for more than 40 percent of IBERDROLA's renewable energy production worldwide. We are leading America's transition to a competitive, clean energy future."

Iberdrola Renewables was also the first U.S. wind company to implement a company-wide Avian and Bat Protection Policy, which establishes pre- and post-construction protocols governing wildlife protection at every renewable facility in its U.S. fleet. The policy, developed in cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, has been in place for more than five years and governs site design, assessment, permit compliance, nest management, training, mortality reduction measures and mitigation.

"Our New York operating utilities, NYSEG and RG&E, focus their sustainability efforts on energy efficiency programs that reduce consumption of electricity and/or natural gas, cut carbon emissions and help recycle and reuse materials," said Kump. "One of our most popular programs pays customers $50 to give up their old refrigerators or freezers, so we can recycle 95% of their contents. I'm proud to say we just removed the 30,000th appliance from the grid and recycled it in mid-July."

To date, the New York recycling program has recovered more than 45 tons of glass, 1,875 tons of metal, 390 tons of foam/plastic, 5.5 tons of refrigerant and more than 9 tons of oil. Program participants have collectively saved enough electricity to power more than 4,100 homes for an entire year, and kept 210,000 tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere - the equivalent of removing 30,000 cars from the road for a year.

In addition to this recognition by Newsweek, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, the Carbon Disclosure Leadership Index, the FTSE 4Good Index, the 2013 Sustainability Yearbook, the 2012-2013 European Business Awards, and the Two Tomorrows rankings have recently honored IBERDROLA for their stellar sustainability practices.

Please click HERE to read the full Newsweek sustainability awards story.  

Iberdrola USA is the U.S. subsidiary of global energy leader Iberdrola, S.A. The Iberdrola USA companies employ about 5,000 people with operations in 24 states from New England to the West Coast, providing electricity generation, transmission and distribution, natural gas storage and distribution, and energy services. For more information, please visit our website: www.iberdrolausa.com. Follow us on Twitter: @IberdrolaUSA 

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SOURCE Iberdrola USA