Green Power Partnership Program Updates Issue 28
Issue 28, February 12, 2015
- Top Partner List Update Summary
- 2015 Green Power Leadership Award Application Period Opening Soon!
- White House On-site Renewables Challenge
- Partner Spotlight: prAna
- GPP In the News
- 2015 Climate Leadership Conference & Awards: Online Registration Ends February 18!
- Greenhouse Gas Protocol Releases New Guidance for Scope 2 Emissions
- By the Numbers
- Upcoming Center for Resource Solutions Webinar: Understanding Solar Power Claims
- California Directs State Utilities to Offer Green Power Programs
- Past Issues
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Top Partner List Update Summary
On January 27th, GPP released updated lists of the top Green Power Partners that are choosing to use electricity from clean, renewable sources.
New to the National Top 100 list are: the National Hockey League (No. 17), American Express (No. 50), Washington Suburban Sanitary Commission (No. 86), and Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (No. 100). Intel Corporation continues to top the list, using more than three billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually to cover 100 percent of its electricity load. Five additional Partners on the National Top 100 list increased their annual green power use, including Microsoft Corporation, which has moved up to number two in rankings with a green power total of more than 2.4 billion kWh for its U.S. operations.
Green Power Partners debuting on other Top Partner Lists include:
- Top 30 College & University: Duquesne University (No. 28), Dickinson College (No. 29)
- Top 30 On-site Generation: Snyder's-Lance Inc. / Hanover Facility (No. 30)
- Top 30 Local Government: City of Columbus, OH (No. 13)
- Top 30 Tech & Telecom: EasyStreet Online Services, Inc. (No. 28), Endurance International Group (No. 29), Oracle Corporation / Austin Facility (No. 30)
- Top 30 K-12 Schools: Sheridan School (No. 29), The Town School (No. 30)
Find out more on the Top 100 list and other Top Partner rankings, which are updated quarterly.
2015 Green Power Leadership Award Application Period Opening Soon!
The nomination/application period for the 2015 Green Power Leadership Awards, which recognize exceptional achievement among EPA Green Power Partners and green power suppliers, will open on Monday, February 23, 2015 and will close on April 17, 2015. The awards recognize the leading actions of organizations, programs, suppliers, and individuals that significantly advance the development of green power sources. EPA co-sponsors the Green Power Leadership Awards with the Center for Resource Solutions, and they are presented at the annual Renewable Energy Markets Conference. EPA award categories for Green Power Partners include:
- Sustained Excellence in Green Power: Recognizes continual leadership in advancing green power development.
- Green Power Partner of the Year: Recognizes Partners who distinguish themselves through their green power use, leadership, overall strategy, and impact on the green power market.
- Green Power Community of the Year: Recognizes EPA Green Power Communities that distinguish themselves through their green power usage, leadership, citizen engagement, renewable energy strategy, and impact on the green power market.
- On-site Generation: Recognizes Partners who distinguish themselves using on-site renewable energy applications including, but not limited to, solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind energy projects.
- Green Power Purchasing: Recognizes Partners who distinguish themselves through purchases of green power from a utility green-pricing program, a competitive green power marketer, or a renewable energy certificate (REC) supplier.
Suppliers are eligible to apply for EPA's Green Power Supplier of the Year award, which recognizes green power suppliers (utilities, retail suppliers, REC marketers, renewable energy project developers) that are leaders in offering green power to their customers.
Information about the 2015 Green Power Leadership Awards process will be posted to the GPP website in the coming weeks. View general information about the Awards.
View 2014 Green Power Leadership Award winners.
White House On-Site Renewables Challenge
As part of President Obama's Clean Power Plan, the White House, along with the support of several federal agencies, is calling on leaders across our economy to make tangible commitments that support the deployment and use of on-site renewable energy. In response, the Green Power Partnership has launched the On-Site Renewables Challenge. The Challenge's goal is to double Green Power Partners' on-site green power use by the end of the decade.
As a component of the On-site Renewables Challenge, EPA is highlighting Partners' tangible commitments to increase the deployment of on-site renewable energy systems by 2020. Is your organization ready to make a commitment to the future deployment and use of on-site renewable energy? Complete the On-site Renewables Commitment form today!
Partner Spotlight: prAna
Located in Carlsbad, California, prAna is a lifestyle brand with deep roots in rock climbing and yoga. The Company is a designer, marketer, and wholesaler of outdoor/active lifestyle apparel and accessories.
Q. Why did your organization decide to use green power? What do you see as the benefits of using green power and what role does it play in your company's broader business and environmental strategy?
A. Green power is of strategic importance to our brand. Through the development of our sustainability strategy we realized the need to support renewable energy in order to reduce our environmental impact and increase the longevity of our brand, which relies on energy to operate our business.
Q. Is your organization currently striving to achieve a green power goal and is there a timeframe? What steps are being taken to reach it?
A. Our goal is to cover all of our U.S. operations with green power. This has been our focus since 2005 when we started purchasing renewable energy certificates for our headquarters, our stores, the homes of all of our employees and 150 of our retail partners.
Q. Describe any innovative green power strategies your organization has implemented or is planning. Do you have any upcoming projects or strategies that relate to your company's green power usage?
A. We will continue to buy renewable energy credits in 2015 and plan to invest more in green energy awareness later in the year through education and awareness building.
Q. What are two or three lessons you've learned in making the switch to green power or in increasing your green power use?
A. We felt we had to learn a lot about the renewable energy market—what is a real investment, as well as what is considered "greenwashing." While it might not be obvious at the start, doing the research allows a company to make the right investments. This is what lead prAna to focus on what we could do right away and that was to get involved with renewable energy certificates as well as look at how to reduce our energy use.
Q. What advice would you give to other organizations interested in using green power, and is there anything you would do differently? What barriers did you encounter when switching to green power?
A. It takes time to find the right strategy for your company. Initially, we wanted to build our own on-site renewable energy installation at our head office, but the project became too overwhelming with logistics due to the fact that we lease our office. So we said, "what can we do?" and started with renewable energy certificates, which has been a great way to support renewable energy in the U.S. Finding what works best for your company with the goal of being an engaged participant in growing demand for green energy is moving in the right direction.
GPP in the News
Here's what a few of our partners are saying about being recognized for their green power efforts in recent press releases:
Microsoft Corporation, a Green Power Partner since March 2012, on its green power commitment and inclusion in EPA's National Top 100 and Tech & Telecom Top Lists:
"We recognize that climate change is a serious challenge that will require a comprehensive and global response from all sectors of society, which is why we made the commitment from our fiscal year (FY) 2013 (beginning July 2012) to carbon neutrality […] We are honored to have made the EPA's list and applaud the other organizations that have been recognized for their significant investments in the nation's green power market." (January 26 Press Release)
City of Palmdale, CA, a Green Power Partner since December 2014, on joining the Green Power Partnership:
"By choosing to retain our renewable energy credits with the installation of our solar shade structures, our organization has become more sustainable, while also sending a message to others across the country that supporting clean sources of electricity is a sound business decision." (January 5 Press Release (PDF) (4 pp, 139K))
Velocity Print Solutions, a Green Power Partner since September 2008, on renewing its green power commitment:
"We are excited to renew our commitment to wind energy and reduce our environmental impact. We believe our commitment to 100% wind power through Renewable Choice Energy has helped us raise the standard in our industry and focus on what it means to be sustainable. We believe we should create lasting impressions on the mind…not the planet." (January 5 Press Release)
Recent Articles::
- February 6, Sports Illustrated, NHL Becomes First Pro Sports League Named to EPA's 'Green Power' List
- February 5, National Association of College and University Business Officers, EPA Announces Top Users of Green Power
- February 3, Washington Post, Arlington Schools Recognized for Green Energy Usage
- January 5, GreenBiz, EPA: Google, Kohl's and REI Reflect Trends in Green Power
- December 18, Sustainable Manufacturer Network, 5 Manufacturers Win EPA Green Power Partnership Awards
For more news on the Partnership, please visit the GPP Newsroom.
GPP on Social Media
Green Power Partners are taking to social media to promote their green power use and partnership with EPA. See below for some highlights:
- Savvy Rest: Happy to announce that Savvy Rest has become one of the @EPA's newest members of the #EPAGreenPower Partnership! http://ow.ly/HYX2b.
- Kent Place School: Kent Place is the only NJ school on the @EPA's #GreenPowerPartnership list of the Top 30 K-12 Schools! #EPAGreenPower http://1.usa.gov/1yNBGDU.
- St. Mary's College of Maryland: We've made the #EPAGreenPower Partnership Top 30 College & University list of the largest green power users! http://1.usa.gov/13jT0t #SMCM
Visit GPP's home page and check out our Twitter feed to see more.
2015 Climate Leadership Conference & Awards: Online Registration Ends February 18!
There's still time to register for the 2015 Climate Leadership Conference, which will be held at the Ritz-Carlton Pentagon City in Arlington, Virginia from February 23-25, 2015. The conference provides an opportunity for thought leaders from business, government, academia, and the non-profit community to share best practices for integrating greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction and climate risk and resilience strategies into their organization's operations.
This year's speakers include Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, former U.S. Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, National Academy of Sciences President Ralph Cicerone, EPA Acting Deputy Administrator Stan Meiburg, and former EPA Administrator Carol Browner, among many others. The 2015 Climate Leadership Awards, recognizing exemplary corporate, organizational, and individual leadership in response to climate change, will be presented during the conference at a public awards dinner on February 24.
To register for the Climate Leadership Conference: http://www.climateleadershipconference.org/registration/
Find out more information about the Climate Leadership Awards, including past winners.
Greenhouse Gas Protocol Releases New Guidance for Scope 2 Emissions
In late January, the World Resources Institute, in partnership with the World Business Council on Sustainable Development, released new Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol Scope 2 Guidance to harmonize methods for how companies report GHG emissions from purchased electricity, steam, heat, and cooling (called "Scope 2" emissions). The new guidance amends and adds to the original requirements of the Corporate Standard, the most widely used tool for accounting and reporting corporate emissions.
There are several important changes in the new guidance that will impact how companies account for their GHG emissions, including:
- Companies must report Scope 2 in two ways: one based on the location-based method, and one based on the market-based method where applicable.
- Contractual instruments used as emission factors in the market-based method must meet Scope 2 Quality Criteria.
- Companies must disclose key features and the policy context of their contractual instruments
The Green Power Partnership is reviewing its requirements and guidance documentation in light of the new Scope 2 guidance and will provide updates and clarifications to Partners and other stakeholders in the near future.
By the Numbers
GPP has nearly 1,300 Partners based in 46 states and Washington, D.C. This map shows the Green Power Partners with the largest green power use in each state. These Partners use nearly 13 billion kWh annually and span 16 different industries, including Education (Higher); Technology & Telecom; Local, Municipal, State, and Federal Government; and Food & Beverage.
Note: Green power use intended to cover a national organizational footprint is attributed to the partner's HQ location; this map does not represent facility-level green power use.
Upcoming Center for Resource Solutions Webinar: Understanding Solar Power Claims
Thursday, February 26, 2015
2:00-3:00 PM EST
Center for Resource Solutions
The new solar boom has brought with it increasing complexity around renewable energy claims. Because ownership of the environmental benefits is not always made clear, the potential for double claiming on the part of utilities, providers, and hosts has never been greater. Join Robin Quarrier, CRS Chief Counsel; Jenny Heeter, Energy Analyst at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory; and Bryce Smith, Chief Executive Officer of OneEnergy Renewables for a look at the current state of the market and best practices for participants in the solar marketplace.
California Directs State Utilities to Offer Green Power Programs
In a landmark decision in support of green power, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) has approved the "Green Tariff Shared Renewables Program," which directs the three largest investor-owned utilities in California (covering nearly 80 percent of the state) to offer a 100 percent renewable energy option to their customers. The program is the first step in the implementation of California's Senate Bill (SB) 43, which requires utilities to develop green pricing programs for their customers that go above and beyond the amount of clean energy currently required by the state.
For more information: http://www.resource-solutions.org/pressreleases/2015/020515.html
Review the measure: https://ia.cpuc.ca.gov/agendadocs/3350.pdf (PDF) (55 pp, 238K)
