HOK will continue to use electricity from local utilities. But the firm will offset its power consumption by buying the credits to pay for putting an equal amount of wind-generated electricity back into the nation's power grid.

"It expresses something that's of critical importance right now," said Mary Ann Lazarus, a senior vice president and director of sustainable design at HOK. "We're serious about sustainability and finding ways to make a difference."

HOK will buy 4 million kilowatt-hours of wind power credits from Renewable Choice Energy, a Boulder, Colo.-based marketer of wind energy. The purchase will cut emissions of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas linked to global warming, by 5.6 million pounds a year. That's the equivalent of planting 768 acres of trees, HOK said.

Reducing consumption of oil, coal and other natural resources and minimizing energy consumption has been a goal of the firm for years -- both internally and in projects it designs for clients, she said. Last year, HOK required that all new offices meet environmental standards set by the U.S. Green Building Council.

"It is a cost, but it's helping to subsidize wind (power), which is something we believe in," Lazarus said.

Source: "HOK Goes Green With Renewable Energy Contract," St. Louis Post Dispatch, April 20, 2006, by Jeffrey Tomich. Read the story.

More:
OfficeInsight (April 24, 2006) reports that HOK has purchased renewable energy credits from wind firms to offset 100% of the annual electricity used in its offices worldwide. While HOK's offices will continue to use electricity from their local utility (which comes from a common grid via a mixture of sources), buying renewable energy credits ensures that the energy put back into the grid comes from new, cleaner sources.

"Offsetting our electricity consumption with 100% renewable energy is a tangible and meaningful way to contribute to the reduction of carbon dioxide emissions and the continued development of clean energy solutions," said HOK Chairman Bill Valentine. "We seek sustainable solutions in every project we undertake and are committed to 'walking the talk' in our own operations."

The news was also reported in InteriorDesign.net (April 28, 2006) and BD&C E-News (April 26, 2006).