Published on November 08, 2011

Adventist HealthCare Becomes Largest Buyer of Green Energy for Health Care Providers

Initiative Reduces More than 5,000 Metric Tons of CO₂; Lowers Costs by 15%

Rockville, MD - Adventist HealthCare announced today that it is the largest purchaser of green energy of any health-care system in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Green Power Partnership, a national program that recognizes organizations that voluntarily use green power from eligible renewable sources.

Adventist’s achievement, which follows the recent expansion of its already substantial Energy and Sustainability Program, is part of an overall strategy deployed by AtSite and The Walker Group, Adventist’s energy and sustainability management team. The most recent purchase took place on Oct. 5.

This energy initiative and earlier efforts have resulted in Adventist HealthCare now purchasing nearly 15% of its electricity in the form of green energy.  At 6.75 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year of green energy, Adventist has exceeded all other health-care providers participating in the EPA’s Green Power Partnership.  Through this purchase, Adventist is reducing its carbon dioxide emissions by 5,119 metric tons each year, which is equivalent to each of the following:

• Removing 1,004 passenger vehicles from the roads each year
• Reducing total gasoline consumption by 573,892 gallons annually
• Reducing 11,905 barrels of oil from U.S. oil consumption per year
• Reducing the electricity production necessary to power 638 average homes each year.

Adventist has also recently kicked off an aggressive efficiency and consumption reduction program that is expected to improve the organization’s environmental performance through the removal of an additional 10,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide from its footprint by 2014.

“I’d like to congratulate Adventist HealthCare for being a leader in protecting our renewable energy future,” said Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley. “Maryland is leading the nation’s efforts in clean energy and sustainability, setting an aggressive goal to increase our renewable portfolio by 20 percent by 2022.  Our state’s growing ‘green’ jobs sector is vital to our ability to compete globally in the new economy.  Together, we can create a more sustainable future as part of our shared responsibility to provide a better planet for our children and the generations to come.”

Adventist HealthCare, Montgomery County’s first and largest health system, operates several facilities in Maryland including: two acute-care hospitals -- Washington Adventist Hospital in Takoma Park and Shady Grove Adventist Hospital in Rockville -- Adventist Rehabilitation Hospital of Maryland in Rockville, the county’s only rehabilitation hospital; Adventist Behavioral Health, the most comprehensive provider of behavioral health services in the National Capital area, with facilities in Montgomery, Anne Arundel and Dorchester counties; the nationally recognized Reginald S. Lourie Center for Infants and Young Children in Rockville; and Adventist Home Care Services, which serves seven Maryland counties and the District of Columbia. In addition, Adventist HealthCare operates Hackettstown Regional Medical Center in New Jersey.

“An integral part of our mission is to improve the health of our communities and an important way to achieve this is by reducing our carbon dioxide emissions,” said William G. ”Bill” Robertson, President and CEO of Adventist HealthCare.  “In addition, the money we have saved will help us invest in long term energy efficiency initiatives while advancing our overall mission of providing quality care to our patients.”

The green power purchase by Adventist HealthCare demonstrates a proactive choice to combine traditional sources of electricity generation with cleaner renewable energy alternatives.

“Purchasing green power helps our organization become more sustainable, while also sending a message to our stakeholders that energy and sustainability is a sound business decision and an important choice in reducing environmental impacts,” said James Lee, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for Adventist HealthCare.

The Green Power Partnership currently has more than 1,300 partner organizations voluntarily buying nearly 20 billion kWh of green power annually, equivalent to the annual carbon dioxide emissions from electricity use of nearly 1.7 million average American homes.

“EPA applauds Adventist HealthCare on its increased purchase of green power,” said Blaine Collison, director of the Green Power Partnership.  “In doing so, Adventist HealthCare is setting a leading example among its peers in the health-care industry that supporting clean energy is a healthy choice both for the environment and for business.

About Adventist HealthCare

Adventist HealthCare, an integrated health-care delivery organization based in Rockville, MD, is one of the largest employers in the state of Maryland.  The mission of Adventist HealthCare is to demonstrate God’s care by improving the health of people and communities through a ministry of physical, mental, and spiritual healing.

About AtSite

AtSite is a Building Solutions Company based in Washington, DC.  Founded in 1993, the company employs an integrated approach to improving the value of buildings and spaces by offering holistic solutions that lower costs, increase efficiencies and deliver better environments for people.  The foundation of AtSite’s approach to buildings is managing performance throughout the lifecycle, from design and construction through rebirth.

About The Walker Group

The Walker Group is a strategic real estate consulting firm based in Bethesda, MD. The company consults for healthcare systems, foundations and associations  in need of a trusted advisor for real estate transactions and portfolio management. The Walker Group functions as a member of the executive team to help clients combine smart real estate decision making with a unique focus on energy and sustainability.