Green Power Partnership
Partner Profile
| U.S. Department of Agriculture | |
| Location | Washington, DC |
| Organization Type | Govt. (Federal) |
| Percentage Green Power | 12.6% |
| Percent of Green Power Use Third-Party Certified (excluding On-site) | 31% |
| Organization-wide Purchase | Yes |
Environmental Web Page  | |
| Partner Profile The mission of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is to provide leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, rural development and nutrition. USDA is committed to fostering a clean energy economy; improving the environment by conducting operations in a sustainable and environmentally preferable manner; complying with applicable statutes, regulations, and Executive Orders; and leading by example. One way USDA has reduced its environmental impact is by powering its facilities with solar, wind, hydropower, biomass, and geothermal energy sources. In 2011, USDA consumed nearly 130 million kilowatt-hours of renewable energy. USDA has realized numerous benefits from using green power; specifically, USDA has been able to meet various regulatory and policy requirements, make the Department's operations more sustainable, and reduce its carbon footprint. USDA has learned that when deciding to use green power, agencies can start with a subset of their facilities and then expand once the benefits of green power become more readily apparent. U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack states that “At the center of our vision is an effort to increase domestic production and use of renewable energy.” | |