'GREEN POWER' MIGHT COME TO COLUMBUS, WESTERVILLE

Thursday, May 8, 2003 BUSINESS   01E By Ken Stammen THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Some residents and small businesses in Columbus and Westerville might one day be able to purchase environmentally friendly electricity.

A deal announced yesterday between American Municipal Power-Ohio and Green Mountain Energy Co. would allow municipal utility customers to choose electricity made from renewable resources.

Green Mountain, based in Austin, Texas, said the average customer would pay from $8 to $10 more a month for its so-called "green power,'' which would come from hydroelectric generators or turbines fired by landfill gas.

It said its generation of "Nature's Edge'' power will cause 50 percent less pollution than the region's dominant power-generation source -- coal.

"By participating in this program, the average Ohio household can prevent more than 16,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the air each year -- as much (carbon dioxide) as a car makes in nearly 18,000 miles of driving,'' said Paul Markovitch, president of Green Mountain's Midwest region.

Carbon dioxide is produced by burning fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas and is believed to contribute to global warming.

AMP-Ohio, based in central Ohio, said it would make the program available to 86 municipal utilities in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Customers will be able to sign up only if their utility agrees to participate.

Columbus and Westerville utilities representatives said they would study the program before recommending it to their city councils.

"We believe that whatever we can do environmentally -- as long as we can remain an efficient, well-operated utility -- we need to look at seriously to get away from total dependence on fossil fuels,'' said Ted Vollmuth, spokesman for City Electric, which provides power to Columbus government buildings and about 14,000 retail customers.

Westerville's Electric Division surveyed residents two years ago and found that most were willing to pay at least $1 a month more for "green'' power, manager Andrew Boatright said.

Columbus has operated a hydroelectric generator near O'Shaughnessy Dam since 1989. Its operation at Phoenix Golf Links, 3413 Jackson Pike, collects methane gas from a former landfill and uses it to generate power.

Westerville uses solar power to operate some traffic signals and is installing a 250 kilowatt fuel-cell generator, expected to be online by fall.

kstammen@dispatch.com