For the first time, the Environmental Protection Agency has recognized the top 20 on-site green power users in the nation and Nassau County checked in at number six.
The county uses more than 29 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power, which is equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of nearly 4,000 passenger vehicles per year.
EPA’s Green Power Partnership is a voluntary program that encourages organizations to buy green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with conventional electricity use.
Green power is generated from renewable resources such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass, biogas and low-impact hydropower. On-site green power is deployed directly at energy user’s facilities rather than at central power plants. Green power electricity generates less pollution than conventional power and produces no net increase in greenhouse gas emissions.
EPA also updated its National Top 50 Purchasers list. This list represents the top 50 partners in the Green Power Partnership with the largest annual green power purchases nationwide. Deutsche Bank AG, located in New York, made its debut on the list at No. 24. Ninety-seven percent of Deutsche Bank’s purchased electricity is now green.
In total, the top 20 Green Power Partners are generating and consuming more than 736 million kWh of on-site green power annually. This is equivalent to the electricity needed to power more than 61,000 American homes annually. The partners’ contributions are helping to expand America’s renewable energy portfolio, improve the nation’s energy security, and reduce their organization’s greenhouse gas emissions.
For more information about EPA’s Green Power Partnership: www.epa.gov/greenpower.
For more details about EPA’s Top Partner Lists: http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/toplists/index.htm
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