Monday, July 31, 2006

Pagliacci dishes up green pizza to launch City Light’s Green Up campaign

Public-Private partnership encourages City Light customers to go “green” with Green Power

SEATTLE- Think of all that dough you’ll save! At least that’s what one local pizzeria decided. Seattle’s homegrown pizza chain, Pagliacci Pizza, urges its customers to go green. Green electricity, that is. In fact, they’re so convinced it’s the right thing to do, they’ll give Seattle City Light customers a $15 gift card if they sign up for green power.

Starting Tuesday, August 1, Pagliacci Pizzas delivered in the City Light service territory will include a special promotion encouraging customers to sign up for City Light’s Green Up program. First time residential subscribers will receive a free $15 gift card, which can be applied to any future purchase of a Pagliacci Pizza. For a minimal $3 a month commitment, City Light customers can subscribe to the Green Up program.

Pagliacci is a Platinum Green Up business customer. That means they replace thirty percent of the electricity they use at their Seattle pizza stores with new renewable energy. Platinum is the highest level of business participation in the Seattle Green Up program. Pagliacci, voted “Best Pizza” for 19 years by Seattle Weekly readers has 10 pizza delivery kitchens and five Pizzerias in Seattle.

Pagliacci co-owner Matt Galvin says, "Each year, we ask every employee to tell us what they think would make Pagliacci a better company. The crew's feedback is always focused on finding ways to be more "green." Using green power and energy efficient lights are two of the great ways we are reducing Pagliacci's impact on the environment."

Pagliacci is definitely home grown. They look for ways to use local seasonal food everyday. And their employees are inspired to look out for the environment. They actively seek fresh ways to use less, and use wisely. This includes composting pizza boxes and food waste, saving water and energy, and purchasing green power for their facilities. Pagliacci is a company that is thinking globally, but acting locally.

"Pagliacci Pizza is a model business for sustainable practices," said City Light Superintendent Jorge Carrasco. "They worked with City Light to install energy efficient lighting in all of their Seattle locations, saving 127,729 kilowatt hours per year, and reducing their energy bills by $7,664 annually."

City Light’s Green Up program started one year ago. Today 2,146 residential customers green up a percentage of the energy they use in their homes. These customers purchase 25 million kilowatt hours of electricity, the equivalent of lighting 2,500 homes in Seattle.

City Light acquires its green power from the Stateline Wind Farm in Eastern Washington, one of the largest wind power farms in the country. Any net revenues earned through the Green Up program will be reinvested in additional renewable energy.

The promotion runs through September 30, 2006. Seattle City Light has a goal of 2,000 new sign-ups to the Green Up program. The promotion coincides with Seattle’s efforts to support the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Efficient Plan that recognizes conservation as a valuable energy resource.

Fresh, hot pizza slices will be served to press representatives covering the event.

Streaming Video b-roll and photos of pizza-tossing efforts will be available by noon Wednesday, August 2 at: www.seattle.gov/light

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