MINNEAPOLIS (April 22, 2022) –To recognize Earth Day, today passengers on Metro Transit’s electric buses and light rail lines will ride with the wind.
Through Xcel Energy’s Windsource® program, Metro Transit purchased enough credits to power both electric buses on the METRO C Line and light rail vehicles on the METRO Blue and Green lines for 24 hours. Windsource® allows both business and residential customers to pay a little extra every month to get some or all their energy from renewable resources.
“This program showcases our expertise and leadership in wind energy – we’ve been a national leader in the clean energy transition for more than a decade,” said Chris Clark, president, Xcel Energy-Minnesota. “We’re pleased to partner with Metro Transit for Earth Day once again as we both share a commitment to the environment, renewable energy use and a cleaner, carbon-free way to travel.”
“Zero emissions vehicles are the future of transit,” Metro Transit General Manager Wes Kooistra said. “Through partnerships with Xcel Energy, Metro Transit continues to envision and transition towards more zero emission vehicles, including a plan to have at least 20% of our new bus purchases being electric between 2022 and 2027.”
Light rail is always zero-emission travel at the source since it operates using electricity. Now as electric bus service expands, Metro Transit can offer more ways to travel using zero emissions on the METRO C Line and future routes as they procure new electric buses later this year. Using wind power for Earth Day makes it a truly sustainable transportation option.
Visit the Xcel Energy website for more information about Windsource® for residents and businesses. For more information about the Zero Emissions Bus Transition plan, visit MetroTransit.org/electric-buses.
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About Xcel Energy
Xcel Energy (NASDAQ: XEL) provides the energy that powers millions of homes and businesses across eight Western and Midwestern states. Headquartered in Minneapolis, the company is an industry leader in responsibly reducing carbon emissions and producing and delivering clean energy solutions from a variety of renewable sources at competitive prices. For more information, visit www.xcelenergy.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.