Eagles owner Christina Lurie announced Wednesday that the Eagles will reimburse their employees living in the Philadelphia region and New Jersey for purchasing wind energy, making it the first organization to pick up this type of cost for employees. The endeavor is part of the expansion of the organization's "Go Green" campaign, which was launched in 2003.

Lurie was joined by Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources Secretary Michael DiBerardinis, NFL Executive Vice President of Communications and Public Affairs Joe Browne, and PECO Director Frank Jiruska at the downtown Philadelphia Marriott, the site of the 2007 NFL Business Summit.

In recognition of the Eagles' efforts, PECO Director Frank Jiruska presented Lurie with a windmill replica

"As representatives of the 32 NFL teams convene here in Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Eagles will have the opportunity to share its best practices that can make a difference to our planet and to the future of our children," Lurie said. "We hope to serve as an example for NFL teams and the corporate sector.

In recognition of the organization's efforts, Jiruska presented Lurie with a windmill replica.

"The topic of greening in sports is especially important in cities like Philadelphia with professional teams and sports arenas," Lurie said. "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."

Representatives at the state level have taken notice of the Eagles' efforts while advocating environmentally-friendly initiatives throughout the Commonwealth.

"On behalf of Governor Edward G. Rendell, who is taking a number of steps to make Pennsylvania a leader in the national drive toward energy independence, I thank the Eagles for being a great role model for the community, private businesses and other NFL teams," said DiBerardinis.

"With the Go Green initiative, the Eagles are showing a commitment to educating and encouraging the community about recycling practices and helping to green the environment. Imagine getting this message out to hundreds of thousands of fans! That's a great score for the conservation of our natural resources."

DiBerardinis added that these types of initiatives help individuals understand the role that can be played in the stewardship of our earth and our quality of life.

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

"Since its launch in May 2004, PECO WIND has become the fastest growing green power program in the country, with more than 36,000 customers," said Jiruska. "The environmental benefit for the entire 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, making the Eagles trailblazers, which makes today a very good day for the environment."

"'Go Green' is more than just a play on words for the Eagles," said Lurie. "'Go Green' has become both a rallying cry for the football team and we hope a good citizenship message for the community."

The audience for Wednesday's press conference included representatives from the Community Energy, Inc., City of Philadelphia, Historic Philadelphia, New Jersey's PSE&G, the Energy Cooperative and the Sexton Company.