Green Power Partnership
Green Power Partnership Program Updates
Issue 8, May 13, 2013
- Partner Spotlight: Richmond Kickers
- By the Numbers
- Upcoming Webinars: On-site Renewables and Greening the Government
- GPP in the News
- Did You Know?
- Green Power Communities: Cincinnati Newest GPC, Data Deadline June 3 for GPC Challenge Rankings
Partner Spotlight: Richmond Kickers
The Richmond Kickers, a United Soccer Leagues PRO team, recently became the first professional soccer club to join EPA's Green Power Partnership, followed shortly by the Philadelphia Union, a Major League Soccer (MLS) team. The Richmond Kickers have partnered with the Dominion Green Power® program to purchase renewable energy certificates (RECs) and recently provided GPP with insight into their decision to use green power:
Q: What do you see as the benefits of using green power and what role does it play in your organization’s broader business and environmental strategy?
A: Most importantly, making the commitment to be a Green Power Partner has changed the way that
we operate around the office by indicating that we are “all in” and are committed to making our environmental footprint smaller. Conserving energy, recycling when at all possible, reducing our consumption of physical materials – all of these actions add up to a decent return over the long haul for our organization. We believe that the club is taking an important step forward with this partnership and continuing a pattern of being a responsible community partner.
Q: What lessons have you learned in making the switch to green power or in increasing your green power use?
A: Taking the step to become a Green Power Partner has really instilled in our club an attitude about energy conservation that was not previously evident. That attitude has done two things – first, we have done the little things to conserve power around the office. We’re conscious about not over-printing, turning off lights, and unplugging appliances. Second, because we have made a stronger commitment both in our actions and through this partnership, members of the club have taken notice that it is an important issue to the Kickers. We hope this will motivate our families and friends to follow our lead.
Q: What advice would you give to other organizations interested in using green power?
A: Jump in! Get involved not only because it is the right thing to do, but also because of the cultural change that you will see within your organization.
By the Numbers
Green Power Partners represent organizations from forty-four states and the District of Columbia. The following graph shows the top ten states that use the most green power annually as of May 6, based on the combined Partner use in each state.
Upcoming Webinars
On-site Renewables: Lessons Learned from Idea to Implementation
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
1:00-2:00 pm (EDT)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Partnership
Register Here
Organizations across the country continue to make direct investments in on-site renewable energy generation, indicating a long-term commitment to using renewable energy and securing the benefits of reduced electricity price volatility. This webinar will feature two EPA Green Power Partners, SC Johnson and Coca-Cola Refreshments, that have invested in on-site projects powered by landfill gas and wind, respectively, and highlight the companies’ experiences from initial investigation of on-site systems to the results obtained once the projects were brought online.
Webinar participants will learn about:
- Coca-Cola Refreshments' combined heat and power system, which generates more than 47 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of on-site green power annually, and SC Johnson's wind turbines and cogeneration system which together produce an average of 100 percent of the annual electricity used at the company's largest manufacturing plant.
- The decision-making process: why these projects were chosen over others, and how these companies evaluated their options.
- The return on investment: have the projects met expectations, and what have the results been since bringing the systems online.
- Important considerations for organizations considering on-site renewable energy generation.
Speakers include:
- Blaine Collison, Program Director, EPA's Green Power Partnership
- Kelly Semrau, Chief Sustainability Officer, SC Johnson
- Brian Ellis, Director of Facilities Management, University of Oklahoma
- Richard Crowther, Manager, Sustainable Energy, Coca-Cola Refreshments
Greening the Government: Meeting Economic & Environmental Objectives with Energy Savings Agreements
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
1:00 – 2:00 pm EDT
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Partnership
Register Here
U.S. Federal agencies are faced with mandates to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, increase their use of renewable energy, and become more energy efficient. With these challenges in mind, the U.S. Department of State leveraged public-private partnerships to develop a creative solution that benefits the environment. The State Department recently signed a 20-year Energy Savings Agreement (ESA) for new utility-scale solar and wind supply for its Washington, DC operations, allowing the agency to reduce GHG emissions and surpass clean energy goals. The ESA also spurs development of green power projects in two states (NJ and PA), provides an innovative contracting model for other Federal agencies, and is expected to create 250 construction jobs and four to six permanent positions.
During this webinar, participants will also learn about:
- The State Department’s interagency contract with Unicor/Federal Prison Industries for the production of the project's solar panels.
- How the agreement supports the growth of clean energy and improves project cost effectiveness through a REC swap.
- The environmental benefits of the ESA, and how other agencies and organizations can meet renewable energy goals using a similar agreement.
Speakers include:
- Blaine Collison, Program Director, U.S. EPA’s Green Power Partnership
- Landon Van Dyke, Special Advisor for Environmental Performance & Sustainability, U.S. Department of State
- Dr. Louis Hutchinson, III, Senior VP Public Sector & Energy Efficiency, Constellation Energy
GPP in the News
Here's what a few of our Partners are saying about their commitments to green power in recent press releases:
Exit Disclaimer
The sites linked from this section are not on the EPA Web site. Please see our disclaimer information.
University at Buffalo, Partner since November 2003, on their No. 11 ranking on our April Top 20 College & University list:
"We're thrilled to be recognized by the EPA for our commitment to foster a more sustainable environment in Western New York and beyond," said Ryan McPherson, UB's chief sustainability officer. "As this year's list shows, UB is committed to growing in an environmentally responsible manner." (Apr. 26 full release)
Duquesne University, Partner since December 2005, on their Individual Conference Championship in the College & University Green Power Challenge:
"Being named Individual Conference Champion for the sixth year in a row shows that Duquesne is committed to doing this over the long term," said Rod Dobish, executive director of facilities management at Duquesne University. "We are committed to doing the right thing and to purchasing energy that's right for the environment. We want to do the environmentally responsible thing for the next generation." (Apr. 17 full release)
Recent Articles
Apr. 30: CleanEnergyAuthority.com, Staples goes solar at its global headquarters
Apr. 19: The Daily Utah Chronicle, U leads Pac-12 in green power
Apr. 19: Pittsburgh Business Times, CMU among top green energy users in US
Apr. 19: Portland Business Journal, EPA recognizes a bevy of Oregon companies, groups
Apr. 18: Examiner, Auraria, Regis, DU recognized by EPA
Apr. 18: Renewable Energy World, The Greenest Organizations in the US: Who Uses the Most Renewable Energy?
Did you know?
Nearly 50 Green Power Partners have signed contracts to purchase green power for five years or more, amounting to nearly 1.5 billion kilowatt-hours of green power annually – that’s enough to avoid the carbon dioxide emissions from the electricity use of more than 154,000 average American households each year.
Check out our recently-introduced Long-term Contracts list, which will be updated quarterly: www.epa.gov/greenpower/toplists/longtermcontract.htm
Get Social! Post this fact to Twitter: Nearly 50 @EPAgov Green Power Partners have signed contracts to purchase #greenpower for 5 years or more! http://1.usa.gov/12QZBOGGreen Power Communities: Cincinnati Newest GPC, Data Deadline June 3 for GPC Challenge Rankings
EPA is excited to welcome Cincinnati, OH as the most recent community to join the Partnership. The first GPC in Ohio, the community of Cincinnati is using 14.2 percent green power. And on June 17, the Green Power Partnership will release updated Green Power Community (GPC) Challenge Rankings. Out of 46 competing GPCs, the current leaders are Washington, DC (annual green power use of over one billion kWh) and Oak Park, IL (91.9 percent green power use). Visit the GPC Challenge Rankings to see the full list, last updated on March 25, 2013.
Green Power Community representatives, please be sure to send any green power use updates to your account manager no later than Monday, June 3, 2013.
Past Issues
GPP Program Update, Issue 7, April 8, 2013
GPP Program Update, Issue 6, March 11, 2013
GPP Program Update, Issue 5, February 20, 2013
GPP Program Update, Issue 4, January 14, 2013
GPP Program Update, Issue 3, December 17, 2012
GPP Program Update, Issue 2, November 26, 2012
GPP Program Update, Issue 1, October 22, 2012