RUTLAND -- CVPS Cow Power enrollment has surpassed 3,000 customers, making the renewable choice program one of the most strongly customer-supported offerings in the country.

"Our goal has been to make CVPS Cow Power one of the top 10 programs in the country by year-end-2010, and we are well on our way toward meeting that goal," CVPS President Bob Young said. "Customers continue to enroll by the dozens each week, voting with their energy choice for Vermont farming, an improved environment and renewable energy production."

CVPS Cow Power now has 3,052 customers enrolled, just over 2 percent of Central Vermont Public Service s 151,000 customers. According to the Department of Energy, nearly 600 utilities in the United States offer some kind of renewable choice program, with a median participation rate of 1 percent. CVPS s participation rate puts CVPS Cow Power into the top quartile in the nation after just 20 months.

"Cow Power has struck a chord with customers, and is a perfect example of the value of giving customers choice when it comes to alternative energy programs," said David O Brien, commissioner of the Department of Public Service. "In developing Cow Power, CVPS worked with the DPS and myriad governmental and non-profit groups focused on improving Vermont s environment and fostering alternative energy solutions."

CVPS Cow Power is the nation s only direct farm-to-consumer renewable energy program, creating a market for farmers who want to process cow manure and other farm waste to generate electricity. CVPS customers can choose to receive all, half or a quarter of their electrical energy through Cow Power.

Customers pay a premium of 4 cents per kilowatt hour for CVPS Cow Power , which goes to participating farmproducers, 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. Farmproducers are also paid 95 percent of the market price for the energy sold to CVPS.

Blue Spruce Farm in Bridport was the first farm producer, starting in 2005. Four more farms are in the process of developing generators and are expected on-line late this year or early in 2007. The four farms include:

- Green Mountain Dairy Farm in Sheldon, owned by Brian and Bill Rowell, with 1,250 cows expected to produce 1.7 million kilowatt-hours per year;

- Montagne Farms in St. Albans, two farms owned by Dave Montagne, with 1,200 cows expected to produce 1.7 million kilowatt-hours of energy per year;

- Newmont Farms LLC in Fairlee, owned by Walter and Margaret Gladstone, with 1,020 cows expected to produce 1.4 million kilowatt-hours per year;

- and Deer Flats Farm in West Pawlet, owned by Dick and Rich Hulett, who plan to use surplus crops and 210 cows to produce 3.6 million kilowatt-hours per year.

Manure and other farm 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 fuels an engine/generator, and the energy is put onto CVPS s power lines for delivery to customers.

As the energy economy changes due to factors outside our control, it is good to see new renewable energy sources being developed right here in Vermont, said Tim Maker, executive director of the Biomass Energy Resource Center in Montpelier. These farmers are in the vanguard nationally, showing that family dairy farms can produce homegrown power.

Contact: Steve Costello (802) 747-5427 For Immediate Release: June 15, 2006