*EPF509 07/11/2003
Text: Environment Agency Hails Business Commitment to Renewable Energy
("Greenpower" partnerships reduce pollution, greenhouse gas emissions) (490)

More than 150 businesses and institutions have joined the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in partnerships to use more renewable energy, said acting EPA Administrator Linda Fisher in a July 9 Washington appearance.

The Green Power Partnership program promotes renewable energy use in the private sector, encouraging groups to tap solar, wind, water and other alternative sources for some portion of their energy needs.

According to a July 9 EPA press release, private sector partners have agreed to procure 800 million kilowatt hours of electricity through renewable sources. If the same amount of electricity were produced with carbon-based fuels, EPA reports, that would be the equivalent of annual emissions from 100,000 cars.

Further information is available at HYPERLINK "http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/"

Following is the EPA press release:

(begin text)

U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
July 9, 2003

Renewable Energy Heralded As Best Management Practice

EPA Acting Administrator Linda Fisher praised U.S. companies for their commitment to green power through the Green Power Partnership, a new EPA voluntary program working to standardize green power procurement as part of best-practice environmental management. In remarks delivered at the 2003 conference of the American Council for Renewable Energy (ACRE) being held in Washington, D.C., Fisher lauded companies that are switching to renewable energy.

"Commitments to renewable energy by our Green Power Partners are providing big dividends for our environment and the economy," said EPA Acting Administrator Fisher. "The Green Power Partnership now includes over 150 organizations -- green power market trendsetters that are providing a great example of environmental leadership."

Partners in the Green Power Partnership - including Fortune 500 companies, states, federal agencies, trade associations and universities -- have made a combined total commitment to procuring over 800 million kilowatt hours of green power annually. If generated by conventional means, the annual emissions associated with that much electricity would include over 1.1 billion pounds of carbon dioxide, roughly the annual emissions of about 100,000 cars.

The Green Power Partnership is a voluntary government-industry program. Partners in the program pledge to switch to green power for a portion of their electricity needs within one year. In return, EPA provides technical assistance and public recognition. Green power is electricity generated by renewable energy sources including solar, wind, water (hydro), geothermal, biomass (combustion of organic materials) and biogas (combustion of naturally-produced methane).
EPA honors leading national green power purchasers each year at the Green Power Leadership Awards. Award winners in 2002 included Kinko's, the City of Chicago, Advanced Micro Devices, Pennsylvania State University, University of Pennsylvania, Alameda County, California, and Johnson & Johnson.

The 2003 Green Power Leadership Awards will be held on November 4, 2003 in Chicago during the Eighth National Green Power Marketing Conference. The deadline for receipt of 2003 Awards nominations is August 1, 2003. Additional information is available at: http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/.

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(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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