EPA Green Power Partnership Tops 3 Billion Kilowatts
Washington - The Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power
Partnership has grown to 600 partner organizations purchasing
more than 3 billion kilowatt hours (KWh) of green power annually,
enough to power 300,000 American homes each year.
"President Bush has asked the nation to diversify our energy
supply by promoting alternative and renewable energy sources,
and once again, EPA's partners are leading the effort," said
EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson.
"By making the voluntary
decisions to switch to green power, these companies and organizations
are helping to decrease our nation's overall dependence on foreign
sources of power and demonstrating outstanding environmental
stewardship -- defending our health, our environment, and
national security."
Green power is electricity generated from environmentally preferable,
renewable resources such as mainstream the purchasing of green power
electricity generated by renewable energy sources including solar,
wind, water (hydro), geothermal, biomass (combustion of organic materials)
and biogas (combustion of naturally-produced methane).
Green power currently accounts for just 2 percent of America's electricity supply,
but voluntary purchasing of renewable energy is accelerating the
development of new renewable energy sources. The voluntary green
power market currently supports over 2,200 megawatts of new
renewable generating capacity.
The Green Power Partnership has grown dramatically since it was launched
with 21 Founding Partners in 2001. The 3 billion KWh purchased by the
partnership has doubled in the past 15 months and grew 10-fold over
the past four years.
This EPA voluntary program standardizes green
power procurement as part of best practice environmental management.
Partners in the program pledge to switch to green power for a
specified minimum percentage of their electricity needs in return
for EPA technical assistance and recognition.
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