Boston, MA. — Veolia Energy North America, a leading operator and developer of energy efficient solutions, announced that SourceOne, its energy management and consulting services subsidiary, has begun the implementation of an ambitious project to support the New Bedford Harbor Development Commission’s goal of reducing the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions of its commercial fishing fleet. In the coming months, the first phase of shore-side power pedestal connections will be installed at New Bedford’s Fisherman’s Wharf for use by the fishing fleet to power their boats instead of using on-board diesel generators.
“The Shore-side Power Electrification Project is an environmentally clean project that will reduce carbon emissions, and will transfer our vessels from diesel to the electric grid. It is a great sustainability project for the number one fishing port in the country and will move us away from the oil economy,” said New Bedford Mayor Scott W. Lang.
Leading up to today’s announcement, SourceOne and Consulting Engineers Group, Inc. (the “Project Team”) were hired by the New Bedford Harbor Development Commission to provide feasibility, design and implementation services and to analyze the benefit of implementing shore-side power pedestals. The Project Team found that by installing these pedestals alongside the piers, the use of on-board diesel generators will be dramatically reduced or eliminated altogether.
Once the program is fully implemented and all of the 42 pedestals are installed, New Bedford Harbor will enjoy a reduction of approximately 310,000 gallons of diesel fuel annually, which equates to approximately 3,000 Metric Tons of avoided GHG emissions. In addition, SourceOne estimates that it will be cheaper for fishermen to use the electricity from the shore-side power pedestals as compared to the fuel costs for on-board generators.
“This effort is part of the Commission’s commitment to the revitalization of New Bedford’s historic harbor,” said Kristin Decas, Port Director, CEO and Executive Director of New Bedford Harbor Development Commission. “The Project Team has done an excellent job of analyzing and recommending immediate solutions to reduce our carbon footprint and other air pollutants. We are very excited to see work underway on the installation of these power pedestals, which we see as a critical part of our efforts to upgrade the harbor’s infrastructure.”
The New Bedford Harbor Development Commission was created in 1957 and serves as the governing body of the port’s 21 commercial properties, five municipal fish piers, 1,600 linear feet of fish product unloading dock, a 198 slip marina and over 500 moorings. Considered the number one commercial fishing port in the United States, New Bedford Harbor has an average of 132 boats docked at a time and over 470 boats annually. Over the duration of the project, 42 pedestals will be installed on four of New Bedford Harbor’s Wharves, starting with eight on Fisherman’s Wharf and followed by 16 on Steamship Pier and Coal Pocket Pier, six on Homer’s Wharf and 12 on Leonard’s Wharf.
“We are excited to be part of the Project Team that is helping make a positive impact on the future of this historic fishing port,” said Vincent Martin, President of SourceOne. “We worked closely with the City, commercial fisherman and other stakeholders to identify a cost effective, efficient and environmentally responsible solution. Not only will the installation of these power pedestals have an immediate impact on the harbor’s carbon footprint, it will have a positive impact on commercial fisherman by saving costs associated with expensive diesel fuel.”
SourceOne has established a successful track record across the nation, providing a unique mix of energy services that are focused on complex capacity and reliability issues affecting customers. The New Bedford Harbor project leverages SourceOne’s extensive expertise in the economics of power delivery and consumption.
###
About SourceOne
A subsidiary of Veolia Energy North America, SourceOne is a nationally recognized energy management and strategic advisory services company, providing support to businesses who view energy as critical to their operations, offering a strategic, customized approach to utilizing available resources, and generating new solutions. With offices in Boston, New York City and Los Angeles, SourceOne manages more than 900 megawatts (MW) of electric power, 3 bcf of natural gas, and $500 million of utility bill processing.
About Veolia Energy North America
Based in Boston, MA, Veolia Energy North America is a leading U.S. operator and developer of energy efficient solutions. The company is part of the Veolia Environnement companies in North America, with 30,000 North American employees. Visit the company’s Web sites at www.veoliaenergyna.com and www.veolianorthamerica.com.
About Veolia Environnement
Veolia Environnement (Paris Euronext: VIE and NYSE: VE) is the worldwide reference in environmental solutions. With more than 315,000 employees, the company has operations all around the world and provides tailored solutions to meet the needs of municipal and industrial customers in four complementary segments: water management, waste management, energy management and passenger transportation. Veolia Environnement recorded revenue of $46.5 billion in 2010. www.veolia.com