ROCKVILLE, MD.—The United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2009 Green Power Purchaser list identified The Legacy Hotel & Meeting Centre as one of only three hotels in the nation as 100 percent powered by green energy resources. In October 2008, The Legacy Hotel & Meeting Centre launched its Turn On program in partnership with Clean Currents and the EPA, integrating greener hotel products, clean energy, and inviting guests to offset the carbon footprint of their stay.
“We are very proud of this accomplishment,” says Eric Siegel, executive vice president of Cohen Companies, the owner group of The Legacy Hotel & Meeting Centre. “As an independent boutique hotelier, we set the standard for the travel and leisure sector to implement energy efficient products and environmentally safe solutions without compromising service or quality. Together with our guests, we strive to be conscious of the energy we use, the products we recycle, and our overall impact on the environment.”
According to the EPA, the 100 percent Green Power Purchaser list represents organizations buying green power to offset 100 percent of their electricity use within the United States. The total combined green power purchases of these organizations adds up to more than 5.3 billion kilowatt-hours of green power annually, which amounts to the power used by an average of 535,000 American homes for one year.
“We are proud of this distinction and strive to infuse eco-principles into the management of our hotels and corporate operations,” says Jim Biggar, senior vice president of operations at Interstate Hotels and Resorts, the hotel’s management company.
As the first and only hotel in Montgomery County, Md. to be powered by 100 percent wind energy, The Legacy Hotel & Meeting Centre partners with Clean Currents of Rockville, Md. to keep their carbon footprint at zero. In addition to its Green Power Partnership with the EPA, The Legacy Hotel & Meeting Centre only uses organic, biodegradable detergents and cleaning solutions and features recycling baskets in each of its 162 guestrooms. Hotel guests can support the hotel’s Turn On service by purchasing an eco-friendly tee shirt logoed with the hotel’s environmental campaign slogan “I Got Turned On At The Legacy!” with proceeds contributing to renewable energy credits.
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