PRACTICING WHAT THEY PREACH Area power companies take sustainability seriously and incorporate it into their everyday practices. by Bob Luder, photos by Steven Hertzog and courtesy of Good Energy
It makes perfect sense that energy companies would be at the forefront when it comes to sustainability and sustainable business practices and initiatives. After all, the very crux of that 21st -century buzzword, “sustainability,” lies in the conservation of energy resources and use and development of renewable, clean energy for the future. Right? It might come as a surprise, then, that some energy companies were a bit slow to join the sustainability party early in the century. It’s understandable considering traditional business models dictated that these companies produce electricity for customers while also completing projects expanding infrastructure. That all changed the last 10 years or so when, for the first time, power consumption and U.S. economic expansion didn’t go hand in hand. Greater energy efficiency in everything from everyday home appliances to industrial processes led to decreased electricity demand even as the economy expanded. Add to that all the reports on the sci-
ence of climate change and its negative effects, as well as the creation of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar, and well, power companies knew sustainability was the only path to a bright and productive future. “We certainly believe that the climate is warming due to human sources,” says Kevin Good, president of Good Energy Solutions, a Lawrence-based company that installs solar energy systems and efficiencies to homes and businesses in Kansas and Missouri. “I think everyone is becoming more and more interested (in sustainability) as time goes on. It’s certainly something we’re taking seriously and putting into practice. “We’re in the renewable energy industry, and we want to practice what we preach,” he continues. In those endeavors, Good is joined by fellow Lawrencearea energy companies, from behemoth power providers Evergy and Black Hills Energy Corp. to fellow solar installers Cromwell Environmental, as enthusiastic endorsers of sustainable business practices.
