Democratic National Convention Organizers Plan Environmentally Friendly Convention

Business Wire, July 8, 2004

BOSTON -- 2004 Democratic Convention to be History's "Greenest"

The Democratic National Convention Committee (DNCC) and Boston 2004, Inc., the host committee for the 2004 Democratic National Convention, announced today their plans to make the Democratic National Convention the greenest political convention in American history. To reach this goal, the DNCC and Boston 2004, Inc., have conducted all-department meetings focused on environmental issues, have worked extensively with the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Conventions (CERC), and have collaborated with other organizations to design a multi-faceted plan to ensure an environmentally friendly Convention.

"Without a doubt, this political convention will be the most environmentally friendly in our nation's history," said Rod O'Connor, CEO of the DNCC. "This has been a team effort, and we want to thank all of the people and organizations we have worked with on this project."

"The environmental plan for this convention serves as an example of the great strides being made to incorporate conservation initiatives and green building techniques into large events and construction projects throughout the city of Boston," said Julie Burns, Executive Director of Boston 2004, Inc. "I am proud of the efforts that our local companies have made to incorporate these innovative techniques and conservation measures into their work with the convention."

"It is great to see the Democratic National Convention planners showcasing environmental solutions by incorporating simple measures that can protect the earth and provide a quality convention experience," said Bruce Hamilton, National Conservation Director for the Sierra Club. "Democrats have regularly promoted renewable energy, recycling, mass transportation, and reducing pollution that leads to global warming. It is encouraging to see a major national convention that reflects these environmental values."

Convention organizers have launched the following environmental initiatives:

Powering the Convention with Renewable Energy

Working with CERC and Constellation NewEnergy (a subsidiary of Constellation Energy Group, a Baltimore-based Fortune 500 national energy company), the supplier of electricity at the FleetCenter, Convention organizers obtained Renewable Energy Credits (RECs) to match the electricity needed for the FleetCenter and the media work stations during the four days of the Convention. A variety of renewable sources including wind, hydroelectric power, biomass, and solar energy will be used. The purchase of these renewable energy certificates and green electricity are Green-e certified to meet the stringent consumer and environmental protection standards of the non-profit Center for Resource Solutions. Through this initiative, the DNCC and Boston 2004, Inc., are directly supporting renewable energy sources, which emit very low levels of greenhouse gases and displace energy derived from power plants that depend on fuel from overseas. Renewable energy sources are naturally replenished by the sun, wind, rainfall, and organic waste.

The Convention will also utilize a 250-kilowatt fuel cell power plant, supplied by Connecticut-based FuelCell Energy, Inc. (NasdaqNM:FCEL), to power Convention events at the FleetCenter. FuelCell Energy's DFC300A power plant, a unit with enough power to provide the base load electricity requirements of a 300-room hotel, will directly convert natural gas, supplied by Keyspan Energy, through a patented internal reforming process into the hydrogen needed to electrochemically produce electricity. FuelCell Energy's DFC power plants generate power without combustion and, due to their favorable emissions profile, are an ultra-clean product since they meet the most stringent air quality standards in the nation. FuelCell Energy's DFC300A power plant will produce 99.9% less harmful air pollution and 59% less carbon dioxide than traditional combustion-based fossil fuel power plants, and will use half as much fuel per kilowatt hour of electricity than conventional power plants. The use of the fuel cell not only contributes to promoting the use of clean and efficient energy generation, it will also limit harmful emissions in the area around the FleetCenter during the Convention. To date, FuelCell Energy has generated over 40 million kilowatt-hours of electricity from 30 global installations at customer sites.

Carbon Emissions Offset Program

Using the 2002 Winter Olympics as a model, the DNCC and Boston 2004 have worked with CERC to offset the greenhouse gas (carbon dioxide or CO2) emissions attributable to the Convention. This was accomplished by acquiring greenhouse gas reduction credits, generated from a variety of CO2 reduction projects. The greenhouse gas emissions attributable to the Convention were estimated by CERC and include fossil-fuel combustion emissions from all forms of transportation used to bring delegates to and from the Convention (buses, cars, and trains). The greenhouse gas credits, which are quantified reductions generated from renewable energy projects, reforestation efforts, and other projects, will be retired on behalf of the delegates, compensating for the CO2 emissions attributable to their travel.