St. Albans company creates green clothing line using
Cow Power (April 7, 2008)
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St. Albans, Vt. – A St. Albans company is wearing its environmental commitment on its sleeve, producing a new line of environmentally conscious clothing, and using CVPS Cow Power™ to run its factory.

JC Image, a leading promotional products company, has created the Vermont Clothing Company, which features a complete line of environmentally sensitive products.

“We have consistently created environmentally conscious clothing and promotional product programs for our customers featuring recycled, natural and biodegradable products,” JC Image President Jay Cummings said.  “This new company and line were designed not only as a means to support our company, but also as a vehicle to support our company philosophy of environmental stewardship.”

JC Image and Vermont Clothing Company enrolled to purchase all of their electrical energy through CVPS Cow Power™, paying a 4-cent premium for every kilowatt-hour.

“When given lemons, you make lemonade,” Cummings said.  “Well, in Vermont, we have cows – lots of them. And CVPS Cow Power™ is creating energy, improving our environment and giving farm owners a new economic tool by generating electricity from cow manure.

“We were green before green was cool, so it just makes sense for us to support Cow Power,” Cummings said.  “The benefits are as obvious as they are numerous.”

To create energy, manure and other agricultural waste are held in a sealed concrete tank at the same temperature as a cow’s stomach, 101 degrees. Bacteria digest the volatile components, creating methane and killing pathogens and weed seeds. The methane, which is roughly 20 times more harmful than carbon dioxide in trapping heat in the atmosphere, fuels an engine/generator.

CVPS customers can choose to receive all, half or a quarter of their electrical energy through Cow Power, and pay a premium of 4 cents per kilowatt hour.  It goes to participating farm-producers, to purchase renewable energy credits when enough farm energy isn’t available, or to the CVPS Renewable Development Fund. The fund provides grants to farm owners to develop on-farm generation. Farm-producers are also paid 95 percent of the market price for all of the energy sold to CVPS.

For JC Image and the Vermont Clothing Company, enrollment in CVPS Cow Power™ will add about $1,000 annually to the electric bill, but Cummings is happy to pay it.

“It’s more money, but what’s the real cost?” Cummings said.  “It’s green for us, green for our customers, and good for Vermont and Vermont agriculture.”

CVPS President Bob Young said the utility was thrilled to welcome JC Image and Vermont Clothing Company into the Cow Power program.  Vermont Clothing Company’s complete line will feature Cow Power in promotional materials, including tags, providing an excellent cross-marketing opportunity.

“Customers like Vermont Clothing Company can do a tremendous amount for the environment by not only enrolling in Cow Power, but educating their customers about its environmental benefits,” Young said.  “We see them as an excellent partner.”

For more information, check out the following sites: www.weweregreenbeforegreenwascool.org, www.jcimage.com, and www.cvps.com/cowpower.

Contact: Steve Costello (802) 747-5427 For Immediate Release: April 7, 2008