Duquesne Light has been awarded a Polar ZERO Award for having the largest-volume carbon emissions reduction in 2007 at Finepoint’s Circuit Breaker Test & Maintenance Conference in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. The award is a program implemented by Nashville, Tennessee-based Polar Technology as part of a nationwide environmental initiative to encourage businesses to engage in environmental stewardship.

The Polar ZERO Awards recognize businesses that have made significant accomplishments in reducing carbon emissions and minimizing the company’s carbon footprint.

“We encourage companies to “seek ZERO” as it relates to the carbon footprint for their businesses,” said Ted Atwood, president/founder of Polar Technology. “Polar ZERO is a program that creates awareness of the environmental impact of the industry while practicing a sound business model.”

In 2007, Duquesne Light sent in 7,995 pounds of SF6 gas to Polar Technology to be recycled. By recycling this gas, they prevented 91,942.5 tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere. This is equivalent to:

• The CO2 absorbed by 2,138,674 trees over ten years or
• The CO2 emitted by 18,020.7 cars during one year or
• The generation of 10,665.3 house-years of electricity or
• The use of 9,499,867 gallons of gasoline.

Polar ZERO is a program that creates awareness of the environmental impact of the industry while practicing a sound business model. It is a program that encourages companies to “seek ZERO” in their businesses and promotes the fact that a company can be environmentally responsible without sacrificing profits at the same time. It is a program that recognizes the significant accomplishments of companies as they strive to become greater environmental stewards each year.