May 9, 2008

FKEC's Member Services Supervisor Shawn Mulholland (right) accepts the Green Living Award in the Agency/Organization category from GLEE President Alison Higgins.

TJ and Anneke Patterson celebrate FKEC's double award-winning evening. FKEC Member Service Representative TJ Patterson serves on the GLEE Board and has spearheaded many of FKEC's efforts to "go green." In addition to being an active member of GLEE, he also volunteered to drive one of FKEC's bucket trucks in the Biodiesel Rally and has volunteered to represent FKEC in Earth Day and other "green" events.

FKEC Honored with Two Green Living Awards

FKEC was recently honored with two Green Living Awards from the Green Living and Energy Education organization during its 1st Annual Green Living Award ceremony.

The awards, which highlight progressive steps toward sustainability taken by local citizens, businesses, organizations and policy makers, were presented on two fronts: One category was selected by "Popular Vote" through public online voting on the www.keysGLEE.com website. The second was selected by the GLEE's Board, taking into consideration many factors, including "living it, advocating for it, well roundedness, and longevity of green practices."

FKEC won BOTH the Popular Vote (with 1,388 votes) and the Board's Green Living Award in the Agency/Organization category.

During the ceremony, GLEE President Alison Higgins also honored the 2007 green initiatives made by U.S. Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) and State Representative Ron Saunders (D-Key West), both of whom attended the event. Governor Charlie Crist was also honored but could not attend.

The goal of the Green Living Awards is to promote existing Keys’ green initiatives, educate about what's possible on a local level, identify local green leaders and promote pride and spirit in our islands.

Florida Keys Electric Cooperative is a progressive, member-owned, not-for-profit electric utility committed to serving its community efficiently and effectively in an environmentally responsible manner.

Among its many green achievements, FKEC was selected for being:

• the first fleet operator in the Keys to switch to biodiesel fuel,
• the first utility to welcome interconnected solar homes,
• a founding member of GLEE,
• and an original member and first host of the Keyswide Sustain-Ability Conference (KSAP).

FKEC's other green iniatitives include:

• distributing almost 2,000 free recycling bins to the community,
• providing free energy audits to homes and businesses,
• providing free mulch (recycled tree trimmings),
• promoting GLEE, energy conservation, and the GLEE Expo in its monthly newsletter,
• participating in the first Biodiesel Rally in the Keys,
• using biodegradable food containers made of sugar cane pulp at its Annual Meeting, and
• planning new solar parking canopies to feed 150 kilowatts of alternative "green" power into the grid.

To download FKEC's complete Green Living Award application in pdf (Adobe Acrobat) form, click here.

FKEC's board of directors and staff are dedicated to caring for the Keys and are continually investigating new technologies and advancements to make the delivery of power as safe, reliable and eco-friendly as possible.