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EPA RECOGNIZES GREEN POWER PURCHASERS
Release Date: 09/30/2002
Contact Information:
Cathy Milbourn 202-564-7824/[email protected]
09/30/2002 - Today the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is honoring organizations for their environmental leadership by purchasing green power, an alternative to conventional electricity. These organizations were recognized at two different events that co-coincided with the seventh National Green Power Marketing Conference being held in Washington, D.C.
“These efforts to support clean, renewable energy show that environmental stewardship can also mean good business,” said EPA Administrator Christie Whitman. “This Administration believes that through partnerships with industry – such as the Green Power Partnership – we can harness the creativity and innovation of industry – and put it to work for the environment.”
Green power is electricity generated by renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, water (hydro), geothermal, biomass (combustion of organic materials) and biogas (combustion of naturally-produced methane). Partners in the program must pledge a switch to Green Power for a portion of their electricity needs within the next year. In return, EPA provides technical assistance and public recognition.
EPA honored the following Washington-area organizations for their commitment to green power: American Council for Renewable Energy; American Wind Energy Association; Arlington County, Va.; Catholic University; District of Columbia – Reeves Center, two school buildings; Environmental Resources Trust; Montgomery County, Md.; National Geographic Society Headquarters building; National Hydrogen Association; Solar Electric Power Association; state of Maryland; Technology Transition Corp.; The Nature Conservancy; U.S. Army -- Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Adelphi Labs, Fort McNair; U.S. Department of Energy -- Forrestal building, Germantown facility; and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, headquarters building.
An evening awards ceremony will be held honoring leading green power purchasers from across the country. Green Power Leadership Awards were presented to eight organizations, with the top two awards going to Kinko’s and the city of Chicago. Kinko’s is purchasing green power for stores in states across the country. The city of Chicago decided to obtain one fifth of its electricity from green power sources.
Other award winners included Advanced Micro Devices, Austin, Texas; state of New Jersey; Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pa.; University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pa.; Johnson & Johnson (select facilities in Calif., Texas, and N.J.), and the county of Alameda, Calif., in Santa Rita Jail.
The Green Power Leadership Awards are part of the recognition offered through the Green Power Partnership, a voluntary program working to standardize green power purchasing as part of best practice environmental management. The partnership provides technical assistance and public recognition to organizations that commit to using green power for a portion of their electricity needs. The program now has
over 80 partners – including Fortune 500 companies, states, federal agencies, trade associations and universities.
A 115-foot turbine blade will be on display during the press conference to help promote the newest local area wind source, the 65 megawatt Exelon-Community Energy Mountaineer Wind Energy Center at Backbone Mountain in West Virginia.
Partners in the Green Power Partnership have made a combined total commitment to procuring over 500 million kilowatt hours of green power annually. If generated by conventional means, the emissions associated with that much electricity would include over 800 million pounds of carbon dioxide. That is roughly the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed annually by 100,000 acres of forest – or the annual emissions of about 80,000 cars.
Additional information about the Green Power Partnership is at www.epa.gov/greenpower and information about the Seventh National Green Power Marketing Conference is at
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