SAN FRANCISCO—Pacific Gas and Electric Company has presented Alliance Star Energy LLC with a ceremonial $1.25 million incentive check to help pay for a fuel cell electric power plant at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc.’s Westin San Francisco Airport Hotel in Millbrae. PG&E has now provided over $200 million in clean energy incentives to customers in its service territory.
“PG&E is proud to help The Westin San Francisco Airport Hotel achieve its greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals and we applaud the hotel for being an environmental leader in the hospitality industry,” says David Rubin, PG&E Director of Service Analysis. “One of Starwood’s three fuel cell implementations in California, this project demonstrates the possibilities when visionary companies partner to bring innovative clean energy solutions to their customers.”
“I want to congratulate Starwood and The Westin San Francisco Airport Hotel for their continued commitment to generating their own clean energy,” says Millbrae Mayor Marc Hershman. “This fuel cell is one more way The Westin San Francisco Airport Hotel contributes positively to the texture of this community. I also want to congratulate PG&E for their environmental leadership and thank them for making these rebates possible.”
The power plant from FuelCell Energy Inc. will generate 500 kilowatts of green energy by converting fuel into hydrogen, hot water and electricity. The Westin’s ultra-clean Direct FuelCell units will generate approximately 100 percent of the hotel’s electricity requirements. In addition, surplus heat from the power plant will be captured to provide 40 percent of the hotel’s thermal requirements for hot water and heating the swimming pool.
In addition to the $1.25 million incentive provided to Alliance Star Energy LLC., PG&E also provided a $6,250 application fee refund to Westin’s parent company, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide.
PG&E Provides Cash Incentives
PG&E helped finance these clean energy projects through its Self-Generation Incentive Program. The program offers cash incentives to help offset the upfront costs associated with renewable energy power generation systems. To date, the company has provided over $200 million in incentives to its customers.
The Westin San Francisco Airport Hotel’s fuel cell electric generator is a result of a long term MESA (Master Energy Service Agreement) between the hotel’s holding company, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., and Alliance Star Energy LLC. The MESA provides the framework for fuel cell power plant projects for Starwood’s hotels and streamlines the process for business opportunities between Starwood and Alliance Star Energy.
“The successful implementation of this fuel cell power plant reflects Starwood’s commitment to environmental stewardship and energy efficiency,” says John Lembo, Senior Director of Energy for Starwood. “We believe that embracing technologies such as fuel cell applications will reduce harmful emissions and provide our hotels and guests with more reliable power.”
Alliance Star Energy LLC is a joint venture between FuelCell Energy, a world leader in the development and manufacture of high temperature fuel cells for clean electric power generation, and Alliance Power Inc., a developer of distributed generation (DG) facilities.
“Starwood has a long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship,” says Bruce Ludemann, FuelCell Energy’s senior vice president of sales and marketing. “They already operate the largest fuel cell power plant installation in the world at the Sheraton Hotel and Marina in San Diego. The new Westin facility extends Starwood’s commitment to bringing ultra-clean energy to another one of its premier hotel brands.”
Go to FuelCell Energy.
