The Institute of Contemporary Art Miami (ICA) and a subsidiary of ENGIE North America (ENGIE) announced an innovative new collaboration that advances an emerging renewable energy solution and expands the museum’s sustainability efforts. Under the terms of a five-year agreement with ENGIE Resources LLC, ICA Miami will procure Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) from ENGIE’s Priddy Wind Project (Mills County, Texas) to match 100% of the museum’s forecast electricity consumption. As the first renewable energy agreement in Florida for ENGIE Resources, the collaboration represents increasing interest for similar solutions in markets that are not yet open to retail power competition.
A leading contemporary art museum in the U.S. and globally, ICA Miami is recognized for promoting continuous experimentation and embracing innovative practices, through its exhibitions and programs and in its operations and practices. In 2020, the museum was among the original grantees for the Helen Frankenthaler Foundation’s sustainability funding and has since implemented carbon offsets and sustainable shipping practices for major exhibitions. With this energy agreement, ICA Miami is matching 100% of its electricity consumption for the building and museum operations with project-specific Green-e® certified RECs that avoid the greenhouse gas emissions of 1,352 metric tons of CO2 equivalent.
Commercial and industrial customers from any market can support sustainability efforts by sourcing project-specific RECs, but interest is in its early stages. “Customer understanding and adoption of RECs takes time,” said Brad McIntyre, business development manager at ENGIE Resources. “ICA Miami is a great jumping-off point for us in the South Florida market,” said McIntyre. “RECs provide sustainable solutions for developers to invest in new assets and we expect this agreement to accelerate the impact of renewables in this and other similar markets.”
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“ICA Miami has long been committed to adopting best practices for sustainability and reducing the museum’s carbon footprint. Our alliance with ENGIE not only supports the museum’s ongoing sustainability efforts, but also contributes to an emerging renewable energy solution that is not yet prevalent in South Florida. We are excited to be a part of bringing these kinds of solutions to our community and to continue expanding on this work,” said Alex Gartenfeld, ICA Miami Irma and Norman Braman artistic director.
Acting as an advisor on the agreement is Industrial Energy (Fort Lauderdale, FL). “It is exciting to be at the forefront of a solution that promotes planet-friendly power in a market that is not yet open to retail choice,” said Christian Amabile, executive vice president. It’s a privilege to work with an organization that plays such an important role in the social landscape.”
SOURCE: PRNewswire