Dive Brief:
- Green Mountain Power has been certified as a B Corp by a non-profit championing sustainable businesses that use their business models to bring about social change.
- Green Mountain is the first utility in the world to receive the designation, receiving high marks for its environmental initiatives, accountability and work environment.
- The Vermont utility is pursuing a move away from the traditional grid, to one that uses a series of microgrids, renewable generation and energy storage.
Dive Insight:
Green Mountain scored an 84 on the B Corp assessment, besting the median 80-points needed to qualify while receiving high marks for its environmental programs.
The utility said it is "committed to our community and the environment, as we transform into Vermont’s Energy Company of the Future to provide our customers with energy efficient products and services to help them save money by using less energy."
Over the summer, Green Mountain partnered with Virginia-based Opower and Efficiency Vermont on a behavioral demand response project, and found customers reduced electricity demand by up to 5% on the hottest days simply because they were asked to do so.
"We are actively pursuing moving away from the traditional grid, to one that is more resilient and reliable, and that uses a series of microgrids through renewable generation and innovative energy storage," Green Mountain said in a statement on the B Corp designation. "We are also partnering with customers to offer integrated services like eHomes, a total home energy offering, that is already helping Vermonters reduce fossil fuel use and save money."
The B Corp program is managed by a 501(c)(3) non-profit called B Lab, which says it "serves a global movement of entrepreneurs using the power of business to solve social and environmental problems." It has certified 1,165 B Corps in 37 countries.
