The Philadelphia Eagles will reimburse team employees living in the Philadelphia region and New Jersey who purchase wind energy through the PECO Wind program. It is the first organization to pick up this type of cost for employees.

The Eagles presented the reimbursement program during a four-day conference, as NFL representatives shared best practices in the areas of business, marketing and community relations. The team originally launched its “Go Green” campaign in 2003.

“We hope to serve as an example for NFL teams and the corporate sector,” said Christina Lurie, Eagles owner. “The topic of greening in sports is especially important in cities like Philadelphia with professional teams and sports arenas. Game days have a huge environmental impact considering traffic, trash, energy and material consumption and water use. They are also opportunities for education and awareness.”

According to estimates, if an employee purchases 300 KW of wind energy, it is equivalent to planting 268 trees every year or not driving 3,600 miles. If the Eagles get at least 100 employees to participate, that would equal 360,000 miles not driven or more than 26,800 trees planted.

“The environmental benefit for the entire [PECO Wind] program is the same as planting about 11 million trees or not driving 144 million miles. This purchase—where employees of a company band together to enroll in PECO Wind—is the first of its kind,” said Frank Jiruska, PECO director.