Clean Energy Initiatives - Waco
Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce
The Greater Waco Chamber is a business organization dedicated to enhancing Greater Waco as a center of excellence and community of choice for businesses and residents. Located in growing Central Texas along the Brazos and Bosque Rivers, Greater Waco is keenly aware of the balance of economy and environment. Greater Waco Chamber recently built America’s First Green Chamber of Commerce building with more green facilities under construction in the market. Greater Waco Chamber developed the Waco Green Business Network, a program to highlight the green efforts of local business. It is one of the first local efforts in the country to educate, identify, recognize and promote businesses that engage in sustainable practices. It wants to help Waco be recognized as “Texas’ Green, Livable City.”
The Greater Waco Chamber has created the Waco We Do It Green (We D.I.G.) green business network initiative to promote sustainability in the business community. The efforts help inventory local business practices, identify and promote resources to assist business, work to attract new clean industries, and encourage the community to be leaders in new green practices. The market is moving rapidly in the green direction.
First Green Chamber Building in America
The Greater Waco Chamber has received a LEED certification at the gold level for its headquarters and regional marketing center at 101 S. Third St. at Heritage Square. This is the first green Chamber building in America.
Texas State Technical College - Waco Initiatives
Texas State Technical College Waco (TSTC Waco) offers specialized, hands-on instructional courses in over 100 different programs leading to Associate of Applied Science degrees and Certificates of Completion, including a wide range of clean energy programs in areas such as solar power, fuel cells, clean fuels, and construction technology. It has been a leader in the development clean energy curricula, and one of its instructors is co-founder of the Texas Renewable Energy Education Consortium (TREEC), an educational consortium formed to collaborate on curriculum, encourage professional development and train students and advance knowledge on sustainable alternative energy resources. TSTC has also been an active member in the I-35 Green Corridor Consortium.
McLennan Community College Carbon Neutrality Plan
McLennan Community College (MCC) is also an active member of the I-35 Green Corridor Consortium and has outlined a plan by which it will achieve carbon neutrality by the year 2050. Actions described in the plan will lead to reduced carbon emissions and other greenhouse gasses to the extent that MCC’s overall environmental impact will be carbon-neutral. Any shortfall in meeting this level will be compensated for by the purchase of carbon offsets. MCC plans to use annual greenhouse gas inventories to track the progress of the College in meeting its goals, as laid out in the plan. As part of that plan MCC is implementing measures that will qualify three new buildings on campus for certification by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED™) Green Building Rating System.
McLennan Community College is deeply committed to being “green,” and administrators want to encourage the entire campus community to help reduce the school’s effect on the environment in addition to the efforts being taken by the college itself.
Baylor Sustainability Initiatives
In accordance with its Christian mission and vision, Baylor University strives to be a community that fulfills its calling as stewards of God’s gift of creation. It has launched a number of sustainability efforts around campus, as well as resources to help individuals instill ecologically-friendly practices at work, on-campus, and at home.
MARS, Inc. Renewable Power Generation
As part of a company-wide effort to reduce its environmental footprint around the world, Mars, Incorporated is striving to make its operations more sustainable at every level. As a recent example, one of the company’s largest U.S. snack food plants located in Waco has converted 60% of its heating fuel source from natural gas to methane gas harvested from the city landfill. With enough supply to power the plant’s boilers for the next 25 years, Mars is significantly reducing its carbon footprint and production costs.