City of Phoenix and Ameresco Host Groundbreaking Event at the 91st Ave Wastewater Treatment Plant Biogas Project

Sub-Regional Operating Group (SROG) representatives including City Leaders from Phoenix, Glendale, Mesa, Scottsdale, and Tempe participated in today’s event

FRAMINGHAM, MA and PHOENIX, AZ – February 2, 2017 – Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE:AMRC), a leading renewable energy and energy efficiency company, and the City of Phoenix today hosted a ceremonial groundbreaking event for the start of a multi-million dollar wastewater treatment biogas utilization project at the  91st Ave Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP). Once operational, it is expected to be the largest wastewater treatment biogas-to-renewable natural gas facility of its kind in the United States. The attendees at the event heard from a variety of speakers including City leaders and Ameresco representatives.

Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton stated, “Making Phoenix more sustainable isn’t just the right thing to do, it is also sparks innovation and creates exciting new economic opportunities. By partnering with Ameresco at our new processing plant, Phoenix is taking previously untapped raw biogas generated by wastewater treatment and turning it into a renewable energy source that can be sold. This cutting-edge partnership benefits our regional economy and environment at the same time. Phoenix has set ambitious sustainability and renewable energy goals, and this partnership will help us get there.”

Michael T. Bakas, Senior Vice President, Ameresco said, “Ameresco is honored to be partnering with the cities of Phoenix, Glendale, Mesa, Tempe and Scottsdale, and we’re truly excited to break ground and get underway. The exceptional aspect of this project is the ability to capture a wasted resource and utilize it, thereby efficiently making use of this valuable renewable energy asset.  We’re looking forward to making this project a reality later this year for a community that recognizes the tremendous value and importance of environmental stewardship in conjunction with fueling the local economic growth engine with this new business while at the same time reducing its costs.”

Ameresco will design, build, own, operate and maintain (DBOOM) the wastewater biogas-to-energy facility. The WWTP is owned by the Sub-Regional Operating Group (SROG) made up of Phoenix, Glendale, Mesa, Scottsdale, and Tempe, and serves these cities. The WWTP is operated by the City of Phoenix.

The 91st Ave biogas project, expected to be operational in late 2017, will process the raw biogas generated in the anaerobic digesters into renewable natural gas (RNG) that will be sold to the vehicle market through the nation’s natural gas pipeline grid. The biogas is a mixture of various gasses (mostly methane and carbon dioxide) produced through the anaerobic decomposition of organic matter delivered to the WWTP. With a project size of 3,250 standard cubic feet per minute (SCFM) capacity, the project is expected to be the largest of its kind in the nation.

This project is expected to reduce carbon emissions by nearly 45,000 tons per year, the equivalent of taking over 70,000 cars off the road or planting over 87,000 acres of tress every year.

About the City of Phoenix
Phoenix is the capital and largest city in the State of Arizona. With approximately 1,563,025 inhabitants, Phoenix is the sixth most populous city nationwide, the most populous state capital in the United States, and the only state capital with a population of more than a million residents. The City of Phoenix is the anchor of the Phoenix metropolitan area, also known as the Valley of the Sun, which in turn is a part of the Salt River Valley. In addition, Phoenix is the county seat of Maricopa County and is one of the largest cities in the United States by land area. The area is known for high-end resorts, Jack Nicklaus-designed golf courses and vibrant nightclubs, but the city’s biggest attraction may be the sunshine and winter warmth. For more information, visit https://www.phoenix.gov/.

About Ameresco, Inc.
Founded in 2000, Ameresco, Inc. (NYSE:AMRC) is a leading independent provider of comprehensive services, energy efficiency, infrastructure upgrades, asset sustainability and renewable energy solutions for businesses and organizations throughout North America and Europe. Ameresco’s sustainability services include upgrades to a facility’s energy infrastructure and the development, construction and operation of renewable energy plants. Ameresco has successfully completed energy saving, environmentally responsible projects with Federal, state and local governments, healthcare and educational institutions, housing authorities, and commercial and industrial customers. With its corporate headquarters in Framingham, MA, Ameresco has more than 1,000 employees providing local expertise in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.ameresco.com.

The announcement of a customer’s entry into a project contract is not necessarily indicative of the timing or amount of revenue from such contract, of the company’s overall revenue for any particular period or of trends in the company’s overall total construction backlog. This project was included in our previously reported Assets in Development as of September 30, 2016.