GREEN POWER
Who can become EPA Green Power Partner?
All organizations are welcome to join the Green Power Partnership, except electricity suppliers or providers of green power products. Eligible organizations include those that are public, private and non-profit.
Why did Citadel Broadcasting Corporation (and its subsidiaries?) become an EPA Green Power Partner?
Environmental protection is a top priority concern in our organization and among our employees. We feel that is our responsibility as a global company to lead the way in environmental reconstruction that can positively impact the work we do and the various products we create. As the first green-powered radio broadcast company, Citadel Broadcasting is affirming its place as an environmental leader with a daily commitment to protect and enhance the world we live and work in while making environmentally sound business practices central to our operations.
What is the process for becoming an EPA Green Power Partner?
Organizations can partner with the EPA at either a facility or on an organizational level (U.S. operations only). To become a Partner, first, assess the amount of annual electricity used (kilowatt-hours) at your facility or facilities. Then, determine the percentage purchase requirement your organization must meet to qualify as a Green Power Partner. Next, fill out the EPA Partnership Agreement. All organizations have a year to meet or exceed the EPA’s green power requirement and work with the EPA on identifying products that meet the organization’s objectives and goals.
What are the benefits to becoming an EPA Green Power Partner?
When you become an EPA Green Power Partner, you receive expert advice to help you identify your organization’s environmental goals and objectives, as well as tools and resources that help communicate the environmental benefits of becoming a Partner. In addition, organizations receive credibility, publicity and recognition with green power purchases. Purchasing green power and becoming a program Partner can help bring positive attention to your organization and differentiate your brand and company from the competition.
What other companies are EPA Green Power Partners?
For a listing of all Partners, please click here.
How do I contact the EPA Green Power division?
Please contact Blaine Collison
What is a “Carbon Footprint?
A Carbon Footprint is a measure of the impact our activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of greenhouse gases we produce. It is measured in units of carbon dioxide.
How can I find out my carbon footprint on the environment?
How does electricity affect the environment?
Of the total energy consumed in America, about 39% is used to generate electricity. Therefore, electricity consumption is an important portion of a consumer's environmental footprint. All forms of electricity have some level of environmental impact. Using energy through more efficient end-uses or through more efficient generation, such as combined heat and power, reduces the amount of fuel required to produce a unit of energy output and reduces the corresponding emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases. Electricity from renewable resources such as solar, geothermal, and wind technologies generally do not contribute to climate change or local air pollution since no fuels are combusted in these processes.
How clean is the electricity I use?
What are renewable energy and green power?
Renewable energy effectively uses natural resources such as sunlight, wind, rain, tides and geothermal heat, which are naturally replenished. Renewable energy technologies range from solar power, wind power, hydroelectricity/micro hydro, biomass and biofuels for transportation. Green power is a subset of renewable energy and represents those renewable energy resources and technologies that provide the highest environmental benefit.
What is the cost of green power?
The actual price for green power depends on a number of factors, including the availability and quality of the resource, the market price of conventional electricity, the availability of subsidies to encourage green power, and the quantity and terms of the contract. Generally, the price of green power ranges from less than that of the standard power mix, especially in competitive markets and where state subsidies exist, up to one to four cents more per kilowatt-hour.
What are the options for purchasing green power?
Green power can be purchased in several different ways. The main distinction among the options depends on where the power generation equipment is located on the power grid or on-site at the facility. For electricity delivered over the power grid, the status of utility restructuring in that state will determine whether an organization can buy green power from either the existing utility or a competitive power supplier. Even if the state has no green power marketers or the utility does not offer a green power option, an organization can buy renew-able energy certificates (RECs). For on-site renewable generation, the renewable energy resources available at that site (e.g., solar, wind, biomass) are the main factors determining the project's feasibility.
What is the importance of product certification and verification?
Certification and verification offer green power buyers a higher level of certainty that they are getting what they pay for. With customer protection guidelines adopted by the certifying organization, a buyer can be sure that their purchase meets nationally accepted standards for resource and product quality. In buying a third-party certified product a green power buyer knows it meets widely accepted consumer and environmental standards, comes from eligible renewable resources and meets product-marketing standards. Certification ensures the quality of a green power product, but also validates the product’s environmental attributes. Third-party certification often carries a requirement for independent verification to document that the amount of green power generated equals the amount of green power sold to customers. It also verifies that the green power behind the product was produced and placed on the utility grid and helps verify the product’s environmental benefit.
How can I buy green power?
Most retail customers in the United States now have an option for purchasing a green power product directly from their electricity supplier. Some utilities even offer “green pricing programs”, which support a provider’s investment in renewable energy by paying a premium on your bill in order to help defray the costs of acquiring renewable energy resources. Another option is to purchase green energy certificates. These certificates, Renewable Energy Certificate (RECs), represent the environmental attributes of power generated from renewably-sourced plants. What you pay for when you buy renewable energy certificates is the benefit of displacing other non-renewable sources from the regional or national electric grid.
What benefits will my green power purchase bring?
Green power can help organizations meet environmental, financial, stakeholder relations, economic development, and national security objectives. Here are just a few benefits:
Green power and renewable energy avoid most of the environmental impacts associated with traditional power generation, helping protect human health and the health of the environment.
Purchasing electricity generated by renewable energy resources creates financial hedge against unstable or rising fossil fuel prices by diversifying a consumer’s energy portfolio. Wind, geothermal, hydro, and solar energy are not subject to the rise and fall of fuel costs. For these reasons, renewable electricity can offer a fixed price over the long term.
On-site renewable generation can reduce the risk of disruptions in fuel supplies resulting from transportation difficulties or international conflict.
Reducing an organization’s environmental impact is one of the main motivations for buying green power. For example, buying green power can help meet green-house gas reduction targets. If an organization is interested in ISO-14001 certification for environmental performance, a program for reducing energy-related emissions will be an important part of this certification process.
What are Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs)?
A REC embodies the non-power environmental and technological attributes of green power generation resources in a saleable instrument that conveys the right to claim the attributes to an end buyer. RECs can be sold bundled or unbundled from the physical electricity (electrons). Once the electricity is separated from the REC, the electricity (electrons) is no longer considered “green”. RECs provide buyers flexibility in purchasing green power making green power available to every organization and individual nationwide. RECs also allow customers to select products based on geography and resource base, providing additional purchase flexibility for green power buyers.
What are the benefits of Renewable Energy Certificates over other Green Power options?
RECs are produced at the point of generation and represent the non-power attributes of 1 megawatt hour of delivered renewable electricity to the utility grid. Often, renewable electricity generators sell the RECs and the underlying physical electricity separately. The electrons from the underlying physical electricity are fed onto the electric grid and distributed across wires to various customers and points of use. The RECs take a separate pathway and are sold through contractual agreements. The ultimate buyer of the RECs can claim that the underlying commodity electricity (electrons) is “green,” since the RECs are the instrument that embodies the environmental and technological attributes of the renewable resource.
How should an organization choose a green power product?
To buy green power, an organization should determine whether green power will help fulfill its energy needs, identify the best products for its particular situation, and decide how to procure those products. These preliminary steps are needed for all types of green power products.
In addition to Green Power what else can I do to help the environment?
There are many easy ways to help the environment. Below are simple practices that everyone can easily incorporate into their lives:
Recycle - Reduce waste by recycling and choosing reusable products, instead of disposables. Recycle paper, plastic, newspaper, glass, printer cartridges, aluminum cans and so much more. By recycling half of your household waste, you can save 2,400 pounds of carbon dioxide annually.
Use Less Electricity - When using electricity, we contribute to global problems by making power plants and industrial business generate more polluting emissions. Home appliances now come in a range of energy-efficient models, and compact florescent bulbs are designed to provide more natural-looking light while using far less energy than standard light bulbs. When using heat and air conditioning, add insulation to your walls and attic can lower your heating costs more than 25 percent. Setting your thermostat just 2 degrees lower in winter and higher in summer could save about 2,000 pounds of carbon dioxide each year.
Change a Light Bulb - Replace regular light bulbs with compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs. CFLs also last 10 times longer, use two-thirds less energy, and give off 70 percent less heat. Replacing just one light bulb with a CFL will save you $30 over the life of the bulb.
Drive Less - Less driving means fewer emissions. Explore your community’s mass transit system, and carpool to work or school. When you do drive, make sure your car is running efficiently. Keeping your tires properly inflated can improve your gas mileage by more than 3 percent, and every gallon of gas you save not only helps your budget, it also keeps 20 pounds of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere.
Use the "Off" Switch - Save electricity and reduce global warming by turning off lights when you leave a room, using only as much light as you need. Be sure to turn off your television, video player, stereo and computer when you're not using them. It’s also a good idea to turn off the water when you're not using it. While brushing your teeth, shampooing the dog or washing your car, turn off the water until you actually need it for rinsing. You'll reduce your water bill and help to conserve a vital resource.
