The New School Demonstrates Its Environmental Commitment with GDF SUEZ Energy Resources NA

NEW YORK, July 1, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- GDF SUEZ Energy Resources NA today announced The New School is purchasing electricity in combination with Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) to offset 100 percent of the university's electricity consumption campus-wide in New York City for the next three years. GDF SUEZ Energy Resources is one of the country's largest competitive retail electricity providers to commercial, industrial and institutional customers.

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Each Green-e© Certified REC represents the environmental attributes or benefits associated with a specific quantity of energy generated from a renewable source, such as solar or wind. According to www.eia.gov, The New School's purchase is equivalent to displacing the estimated annual greenhouse gas emissions of 2,003 passenger vehicles, 3,601 tons of waste diverted from landfills or the carbon dioxide emissions from the total energy usage of 1,439 households.

"Just as The New School encourages its students and faculty to take creative approaches to real-world issues, we're committed to doing the same for our customers," said Sam Henry, President and CEO of GDF SUEZ Energy Resources. "We're proud to work with The New School to develop an effective, eco-friendly energy management plan for its campus in New York City."

Founded in 1919 by a group of progressive educators, The New School consists of seven academic divisions, including the Parsons The New School for Design and The New School for Public Engagement. The university, which is based in Manhattan's West Village neighborhood, is set to open a 16-story, mixed-use University Center in January 2014.

In addition to helping reduce greenhouse gas emissions, RECs help to encourage the development of domestic sources of cleaner, renewable energy. Green-e© is the nation's leading independent certification and verification program for renewable energy and greenhouse gas emission reductions in the retail market.

The New School, a leading progressive university in New York City, was founded in 1919 as a center of intellectual and artistic freedom. Today The New School is still in the vanguard of innovation and experimentation in higher education, with more than 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students in design and the social sciences, liberal arts, management and the performing arts and thousands of adult learners in continuing education courses. Committed to public engagement, The New School welcomes thousands of New Yorkers yearly to its celebrated public programs and maintains a global presence through its online learning programs, research institutes, and international partnerships. Learn more at www.newschool.edu.

GDF SUEZ Energy Resources NA is one of the largest non-residential retail electricity suppliers in the U.S. and currently serves commercial, industrial and institutional customers in 12 markets: Delaware, Texas, Massachusetts, Maine, Maryland, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Connecticut, Ohio, and Washington, D.C. The company serves approximately 70,000 accounts for customers having a peak demand ranging from 50 KW to more than 200 MW, with an estimated peak load totaling nearly 10,000 MW. The company offers electricity service to small business customers under the brand Think Energy™. For more about GDF SUEZ Energy Resources, visit www.gdfsuezenergyresources.com or call 1-866-999-8374. Follow GDF SUEZ Energy Resources on LinkedIn, Twitter: @GDFSUEZEnergy and Facebook. GDF SUEZ Energy Resources is a subsidiary of GDF SUEZ Energy North America, which manages a range of energy businesses in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada, including electricity generation and cogeneration, natural gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) distribution and sales, asset-based trading and origination, and retail energy sales and related services to commercial and industrial customers. GDF SUEZ Energy North America is a part of the international energy group GDF SUEZ. For more information, please visit www.gdfsuez.com.

SOURCE GDF SUEZ Energy Resources NA