Ashforth Pacific Mitigates Holiday Lights, Buys Green Power Futures

PORTLAND-In an effort to mitigate the adverse environmental impacts of power consumption for holiday lighting, Ashforth Pacific is giving money to the Bonneville Environmental Foundation’s Green Tags program. The program results in new supplies of non-polluting, renewable energy being developed, displacing carbon dioxide and other emissions that contribute to air pollution and climate change.

Ashforth Pacific, which already purchases is already Blue Sky wind power for 5% of its total energy needs, says it is giving enough money to support the production of 30,000 kwh of electricity, the amount of power they expect to use by the now twinkling trees along Holladay Street and architectural lighting on its office towers.

An owner and manager of commercial real estate, Ashforth Pacific launched its environmental initiative in 1999 and has since been working to realign its corporate operations and real estate management practices to be more environmentally friendly. “We owe it to future generations to start addressing today’s pressing environmental challenges,” states Hank Ashforth, CEO. “There is no question that we must become far more responsible and efficient in the way we consume resources. Even small steps in the right direction move us closer to that goal.”

Green Tags are currently helping to bring new renewable power projects on line, such as the Condon Wind Farm in Oregon. “We hope other businesses will follow the lead of Ashforth Pacific and “green” their holiday lighting,” states Angus Duncan, president of BEF. “This is a gift for our whole community.”

According to Diane Zipper, of the non-profit Renewable Northwest Project, over 250 businesses are purchasing green power in Oregon through local utility programs or through BEF Green Tags. Zipper hopes that other businesses will make similar commitments. “Renewable energy is clean, brings jobs to our state economy, diversifies our energy resource mix and it’s affordable,” she stated. “Even small green power purchases are important because they help put new clean power into our system and take older, dirty power out.”