SALT LAKE CITY — Sometimes it’s the little things that add up to making a big difference. Take coffee cups: Cucina Deli, located at 1026 2nd Avenue, now uses cups made of cornstarch to reduce waste.

“It almost looks like a paper product, but when it goes into a landfill, it dissolves,” said Dean Pierose, owner of the gourmet Italian deli. “It’s just one of the things we do to help the environment, in addition to buying Blue Sky renewable energy.”

The Cucina Deli is buying 10 blocks of Blue Sky renewable energy from Rocky Mountain Power each month. Its purchase has a big impact, offsetting 12 tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year, which has the environmental benefit of planting 5 acres of trees or not driving 25,710 miles.

“We do business in a diverse neighborhood where being socially responsible is appreciated,” Pierose said. “We have an educated and politically diverse group, so I thought it would gain some notice.”

Rocky Mountain Power's Blue Sky program gives both large and small customers a way to increase the demand for clean, renewable wind energy and to take advantage of its environmental benefits. It is sold in 100 kilowatt-hour increments, called blocks, for $1.95 per block per month in addition to a customer's regular bill.
 
Wind is an attractive form of energy generation because it helps reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. Just one block of Blue Sky has the same environmental benefit of either planting about a half acre of trees or not driving 2,500 miles. Enrollment is optional, and customers can increase their participation or withdraw at any time.

For more information or to sign up for Blue Sky, call 800-842-8458 or e-mail
bluesky@pacificorp.com . Customers can sign up online at
www.rockymtnpower.net/bluesky .

More about Rocky Mountain Power and Blue Sky

Rocky Mountain Power is Utah’s largest electric utility, providing safe, reliable and low-cost electric service to about 740,000 customers in the state. The United States Department of Energy ranked Rocky Mountain Power's Blue Sky program second in the nation for customers enrolled in a renewable power program and third in the amount of renewable power sold. In Utah, more than 17,600 residential and business customers participate. More than 46,000 customers buy Blue Sky in the Western United States.

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