WPC Receives Grant Support From Green Mountain Energy Sun Club^® for New Electric Vehicles

Pittsburgh, Pa. – October 16, 2024 – Officials from the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and Green Mountain Energy gathered at the Conservancy’s Point State Park Garden this morning to unveil two 2023 Ford F-150 Lightning Electric Trucks purchased with a $150,000 grant from Green Mountain Energy Sun Club^®.

An overcast and drizzly morning did not stop nearly 30 volunteers from Point Park University and the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) PA Outdoors Corps from planting fall mums and native perennials at the garden and celebrating the grant announcement. The new vehicles will help the Conservancy’s community greening program staff transport flowers, trees, mulch, tools and other materials to plant trees, install and maintain 130 community flower gardens, and implement other greening projects across Western Pennsylvania.

At the event, officials from GME and the Conservancy “flipped the switch” to support the Conservancy’s energy efficiency and sustainability goals. The trucks have extended-range electric batteries of up to 320 miles per charge, making it possible for the Conservancy to save approximately $20,000 over 10 years in fuel costs and an additional estimated $10,000 in maintenance costs usually associated with fuel-engine vehicles. 

The Conservancy’s Senior Director Of Community Greenspace Projects Art DeMeo says the grant funding provides significant support for the Conservancy’s program operations. Two electric charging stations donated by the Ford Motor Company will help efficiently charge the vehicles each day. 

“The Conservancy is pleased to be one of the 2024 nonprofit recipients of a Sun Club® grant,” says DeMeo. “Through their generosity, we will be able to reduce costs and further our commitment to operational sustainability and energy efficiency, including proactive efforts to minimize our carbon footprint and improve air quality.”

Since 2002, Green Mountain Energy Sun Club® has been empowering local communities by donating nearly $14 million to 164 nonprofit organizations across Texas and the Northeast. Sun Club® supports projects promoting renewable energy, energy efficiency, resource conservation, education and awareness, clean transportation, and sustainable agriculture.

“Our mission at Green Mountain Energy Sun Club® is to advance sustainability by partnering with local organizations to make it easier for them to protect the environment,” said Andrea Ortega-Toledano, senior director of sustainability, Green Mountain Energy. “We’re proud to partner with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy and help them take the next step toward a more sustainable future.”

The trucks have a distinctive look, due to new vehicle wraps featuring native flowers and wildlife species found in the Conservancy’s community gardens. The vehicle wrap is made from a PVC-free vinyl material, which has a smaller carbon footprint than traditional materials.

For more information about the Conservancy’s community gardens and other greening efforts, visit WaterLandLife.org/community-greening. 

Photos and video from the event are available for media use, courtesy of the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy: https://we.tl/t-qrVsqrj7FR

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About the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy (WPC) enhances the region by protecting and restoring exceptional places. A private nonprofit conservation organization founded in 1932, WPC has helped establish 11 state parks, conserved more than 290,000 acres of natural lands, protected or restored more than 3,000 miles of rivers and streams, and assessed thousands of wildlife species and their habitats. The Conservancy owns and operates Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater, which is on the UNESCO World Heritage List and symbolizes people living in harmony with nature. In addition, WPC enriches our region’s cities and towns through 130 community gardens and other green spaces and thousands of trees that are planted with the help of more than 7,000 volunteers. The work of the Conservancy is accomplished through the support of more than 10,000 members. For more information, visit WaterLandLife.org or Fallingwater.org.

About Green Mountain Energy Sun Club
Green Mountain Energy’s mission is to inspire hope and motivate action through the use of clean energy, and to advance sustainable communities through the work of Green Mountain Energy Sun Club. Since its founding in 2002, Sun Club® has donated more than $14 million for 164 projects across Texas and the Northeast. Sun Club collaborates with nonprofit organizations on projects that focus on renewable energy, energy efficiency, resource conservation, and environmental stewardship. To learn more about Green Mountain Energy and Sun Club or to apply for a Sun Club grant, visit greenmountain.com/sunclub.

Media Contacts:
Carmen Bray, Senior Director of Communications
412-586-2358 - work
412-608-3617 - cell
cbray@paconserve.org

Jeanie Davey, Senior Communications Specialist
Green Mountain Energy
713-537-5735
media@greenmountain.com
X: @GreenMtnEnergy