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EPA Announces Biggest Green Power Purchase Nationwide
Release Date: 12/22/2004
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Following are some Agency developments which may interest you. If you need more information on any of these subjects, call the appropriate contact.
(12/22/04) EPA today announced a Green Power transaction involving biomass resources (paper pulp) in Georgia and the Agency’s Research Triangle Park, N.C., facilities. Nationwide, this is the biggest EPA Green Power procurement to date. EPA finalized a three-year contract with Unicoi Energy Services of Marietta, Ga., to provide RTP with 100 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of renewable energy certificates (RECs) annually -- equivalent to the energy consumed by 3,680 homes each year. Currently, EPA annually purchases more than 220 million kWh of Green Power for 26 of its facilities, laboratories and offices, across the nation. Green Power now accounts for 77 percent of EPA’s estimated national electricity consumption. Green Power is electric power derived from renewable resources such as wind, sun, and biomass (including burning of wood waste, plant materials and landfill gas). Green Power sources have lower emissions than more conventional generating plants, and generally have less adverse impact on the environment. White House Executive Order 13123 (titled “Greening the Government through Efficient Energy Management”), encourages all federal agencies to expand the use of Green Power by developing renewable energy projects, supporting the development of renewable projects by others on federal land and purchasing electricity from renewable energy sources. The Order also requires that federal agencies reduce their greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent from 1990 levels by 2010. EPA purchases Green Power through a process utilizing RECs (green tags), which are both cheaper and easier to procure than delivered power. For a more detailed explanation of green tags, go to: https://www.epa.gov/greeningepa/greenpower.htm#greentags . For more information on EPA’s Green Power program in general, go to: https://www.epa.gov/greeningepa/greenpower.htm .
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