Today, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency presented its annual Green Power Leadership Awards to 23 businesses and organizations for their efforts to significantly advance the green power market by using electricity from renewable energy including solar power, wind energy, geothermal energy, biogas, and low-impact hydroelectric sources.
“By using green power, these businesses and organizations are reducing greenhouse gas emissions and the impacts associated with climate change, and protecting public health,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “Our partners demonstrate that green power is both accessible and affordable while also growing the renewable energy market.”
EPA presented the awards at the Renewable Energy Markets Conference in Sacramento, Calif. The following businesses and organizations in the Pacific Southwest were among the winners nationwide:
On-Site Generation Partner of the Year
City of Las Vegas, Nev. reinvests 100 percent of its savings from solar projects into more renewable energy and conservation, with the goal of becoming a net-zero energy city by 2020. Las Vegas installed 3.3 megawatts of solar photovoltaic panels at its wastewater treatment facility, which, combined with energy retrofits and solar panel installation at city facilities, will save more than $2.5 million per year in energy costs.
Green Power Partners of the Year
Apple Inc., based in Cupertino, Calif., was one of the first companies in its sector to supply its data centers with 100 percent renewable energy. Apple also generates and purchases 100 percent renewable energy for all of its U.S. corporate facilities and uses more than 92 percent green power for its entire U.S.-based operations.
Google Inc., based in Mountain View, Calif., minimizes its environmental impact through energy efficiency, carbon offsets, and green power use. Google installed one of the largest corporate electric vehicle charging infrastructures in the country, developed some of the most efficient data centers in the world, and purchases and generates renewable energy.
Sustained Excellence in Green Power Partner of the Year
Intel Corporation, based in Santa Clara, Calif., purchases Green-e certified renewable energy certificates for 100 percent of the 3.1 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity used at its U.S. locations. Intel has on-site solar facilities at 18 locations which generate nearly 10 million kWh of electricity annually and has installed more than 75 solar-powered electric vehicle charging stations across 11 campuses.
Green Power Supplier of the Year
3Degrees Group, Inc., based in San Francisco, Calif., provides green power products to utilities and renewable energy certificates and carbon offsets to over 215,000 residential and business customers delivering more than 7 billion kWh from wind, biomass, solar, and geothermal facilities. 3Degrees Group supported hundreds of new solar projects including new solar arrays at schools, small agricultural digester facilities, and wind turbines with integrated battery storage.
Close to one-third of all greenhouse gas emissions or about 40 percent of America’s carbon pollution comes from power plants. By using green power, communities, businesses and organizations can dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create jobs, improve public health and help transition the United States to cleaner energy sources.
The 23 award-winning partners were chosen for their exemplary use of green power from more than 1,300 partner organizations. EPA, through the Green Power Partnership, works with organizations to use green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with fossil fuel-based electricity use. Green Power Partnership organizations currently use over 7.6 billion kilowatt-hours of green power annually.
More on the 2014 Green Power Leadership award winners: http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/awards/winners.htm
