CHEYENNE, Wyo. — Powder River Energy Corp. (PRECorp) and Lunavi announced their support of an economic development effort in Upton, Wyoming, utilizing renewable energy credits from previous Wyoming Renewable Energy Credit (WyREC) purchases. The PRECorp Board has selected Upton’s Small Business Revitalization project to receive the funds from Lunavi’s purchase of WyRECs. This project will include assessment for a Small Business Resource Center and a Small Business Center-Business Park.
Lunavi has participated in renewable energy credit (REC) programs since the company’s founding in 2007 and has taken advantage of WyRECs since 2014, when this initiative was launched.
Over the years, Lunavi has used renewable energy credits from the WyRECs program to offset energy consumption across each of its data centers, including at the company’s Cheyenne headquarters. Lunavi has been a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Green Power Partner featured on the agency's National Top 100 and Top 30 Tech & Telecom lists since 2015. Most recently, it was ranked No. 28 on the Green Power Partnership Top 30 Tech & Telecom, with 20 million KWh in annual green power (GP) usage and 105% GP total electricity use in 2019.
“Lunavi is a fantastic partner for this program, given their commitment to 100% sustainable power, and their long-term dedication to support and invest in Wyoming and to be a leading green data center provider nationwide,” said Laura Ladd, PRECorp consultant and program designer. “We are thrilled to see this partnership grow so significantly.”
“We are pleased to be able to work with a Wyoming-based partner who offers renewable wind energy credits that are compliant with EPA’s Green Power program, particularly with our data center in Cheyenne,” said Shawn Mills, CEO of Lunavi. “As a national digital transformation and cloud-hosting and colocation provider, sustainability is very important to us.”
The WyRECs program is an innovative means for PRECorp, an electric cooperative in northeastern Wyoming, to meet its Vision 2030 strategic theme of “Member Engagement and Community Development” by facilitating business creation and development to benefit communities. The program offers renewable energy credits to companies interested in leveraging sustainable energy to power their growing, or relocating, Wyoming operations and reduce their environmental impact. The program is made possible because of PRECorp’s membership in Basin Electric cooperative, which has significant wind energy projects throughout its service territory.
Proceeds from the WyREC transactions are available to reinvest in economic development projects specifically located in the PRECorp service area and may be leveraged by businesses seeking grant and loan programs from the WBC.
“The WyRECs are a way to strengthen the renewable energy economy, as more businesses can make the case for contributing in a meaningful way,” said PRECorp CEO Mike Easley. “For example, a business seeking an economic development grant can apply to PRECorp to provide assistance with the required cost-share component of a grant application to the Wyoming Business Council (WBC). Lunavi and PRECorp are thrilled to reinvest in Wyoming businesses and communities through this innovative program.”
