Green Power Partnership

Green Power Partnership Program Updates Issue 33

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Issue 33, August 10, 2015

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GPP Announces Third Quarter Updates to Partner and Green Power Community Rankings

On July 27th, the Green Power Partnership released the third quarter updates to its Top Partner Rankings, which highlight the green power use of leading Green Power Partners within the United States and across individual industry sectors. Partners debuting on the Rankings this quarter include:

  • Top 100: Colgate-Palmolive Company (No. 77), RELX Group (No. 82), Appleton Coated LLC (No. 100)
  • Top 10 Federal: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (No. 10)
  • Top 30 College & University: Emerson College (No. 23)
  • Top 30 On-site Generation: Tucson Unified School District (No. 12), City of Hayward, CA / Water Pollution Control Facility (No. 20)
  • Fortune 500 Partners: Voya Financial (No. 30), Quest Diagnostics (No. 42), salesforce.com (No. 43), The Timberland Company (No. 53)
  • Top 30 Local: Ulster County, NY (No. 23)
  • Top 30 Technology & Telecom: Oracle Corporation / Austin Facility (No. 29), CA Technologies / Framingham, MA Operations (No. 30)
  • Top 30 K-12 Schools: Tucson Unified School District (No. 2), Maplewood Richmond Heights School District (No. 11)

In addition, GPP launched its Green Power Community (GPC) Rankings, which will be updated quarterly. The GPC Rankings recognize leading towns, villages, cities, counties, and tribal governments across the nation where businesses, residents, and the local government collectively use green power. GPCs are ranked by total annual green power usage, as well as by the percentage of green power used in the community.

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Explore GPP's New Project Matching Resources

The Green Power Partnership's Project Matching initiative works to connect green power users with new, not-yet-built renewable energy projects. As part of this initiative, GPP hosts webinars featuring presentations from renewable energy developers discussing project details, business models, and project engagement opportunities. The most recent webinar, Project Matching: Shovel-Ready Renewable Energy Projects, was hosted on June 24, 2015, and featured six developers discussing future wind and solar projects in the United States.

Solar IconIn addition, GPP has developed a Project Matching List, which represents projects that have been evaluated by GPP based on their readiness for construction and for the role that the developer is seeking to fill through GPP stakeholder involvement.

If your organization is interested in becoming involved in a renewable energy project, take a look at the List—there are plenty of options that could fit your organization's needs! If you're a developer interested in submitting your project for inclusion, GPP's Project Matching initiative, applications are considered on a rolling basis, so take a look at the 2015 Project Proposal Submittal Form (DOCX)(4 pp, 36 K) . EPA will host new webinars as EPA receives a critical mass of projects that meet the shovel ready criteria.

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NREL Publishes New Report on Green Power Use in Tech

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has published a new paper exploring trends in renewable electricity use by the information and communication technology (ICT) sector. The report, titled Renewable Electricity Use by the U.S. Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Industry (PDF) (39 pp, 649K), examines renewable electricity use by 113 ICT companies using data from GPP and the Carbon Disclosure Project Worldwide. Analysis of potential growth in demand for renewable electricity by the sector concludes that the 113 companies in its sample could procure more than 37 million megawatt-hours of renewable electricity by 2020, representing 48 percent renewable electricity use on an industry average basis.

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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:

Washington, DC Community, a Green Power Community since March 2011, on signing a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) that will supply 35 percent of the District government's electricity with wind power:
"The District of Columbia is proud to lead the nation in the utilization of affordable, green energy that creates jobs right here at home. The District is well on its way to achieving the Sustainable DC goal of using renewables to satisfy 50 percent of DC's energy supply by 2032." (July 14 Press Release)

Autodesk, Inc, a Green Power Partner since August 2012, on the release of their 2015 sustainability report and committing to 100 percent renewable energy:
"Of all the challenges we face, none is more pressing and has greater implications for our global community than our climate. And no challenge requires us all to work together across sector and party lines more than climate. Committing to 100 percent renewable energy today accelerates the bold action we can take together this year." (June 4 Press Release)

ASA/USA Softball, a Green Power Partner since May 2015, on their partnership with Oklahoma Gas & Electric (OG&E) and joining the GPP:
"As the first OG&E Green Field venue we are excited to expand our collective efforts with this commitment to modeling green practices. OG&E has been a tremendous leader in expanding the use of wind power, and we are proud to partner with them as part of our efforts to support Oklahoma's energy future and cultivate an educational environment for our fans, players and industry." (May 28 Press Release)

Recent Articles:

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:

  • The Cadmus Group, Inc.: We're an #EPAGreenPower Partner! Over 1,300 orgs are reducing their environmental impacts buy using #greenpower! http://hubs.ly/y0J7ps0
  • Modern Litho / Brown Printing: We've switched to clean, renewable electricity and have been recognized by @EPA as an #EPAGreenPower Partner!
  • Oberlin College (Office of Environmental Sustainability): The 90 schools in @EPA's #EPAGreenPower 2014-15 College & Univ Challenge used 2.4 billion kWh green power this year! http://buff.ly/1E80hkE
  • Quest Diagnostics: We've been recognized on the #EPAGreenPower Partnership Fortune 500 Partners list of green power users! http://1.usa.gov/17KSwr

Visit GPP's home page and check out our Twitter feed to see more.

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Welcome New Partners!

GPP welcomes the following 80+ organizations that joined the Green Power Partnership in the second quarter of 2015!

  • Agriculture & Natural Resources: Tomato Mountain Farm (Wisc.)
  • Automotive: Paris Autobarn LLC (Maine)
  • Banking & Financial Services: Aedos Holdings (N.C.), Evergreen Credit Union (Wisc.)
  • Clothing & Textile: The Sox Box (Calif.)
  • Consulting Services: Green Space (Calif.), Katalyst Data Management / Houston Facility (Texas)
  • Consumer Products: Natural Sourcing, LLC (Conn.), Organic India USA (Colo.), Wholly Hemp (Calif.)
  • Education (Higher): Emory & Henry College (Va.), Houghton College (N.Y.)
  • Education (K-12): Maplewood Richmond Heights School District (Mo.), Tucson Unified School District (Ariz.)
  • Food & Beverage: Evangeline's Bistro and Music House (Mo.), Great Harvest Bread Company / Maplewood (Mo.), Green Plate Catering (Md.), The Post Sports Bar & Grill (Mo.)
  • Government (Local, Municipal): City of Hayward, CA / Water Pollution Control Facility (Calif.), City of Richmond, CA (Calif.)
  • Green Power Community: Richmond, CA Community
  • Health Care: Access Community Health Network (Ill.)
  • Hotels & Lodging: Beach House Inn (Calif.), Sunnyfield Farm Bed and Breakfast (Wisc.), Surf & Sand Lodge (Calif.), The Beachcomber (Calif.), Tree Frod Inn (Wash.)
  • Industrial Goods & Services: Automatic Controls Equipment Systems, Inc. (Mo.), Prudential Overall Supply (Texas)
  • Insurance: Tokio Marine Management, Inc. (N.Y.)
  • Media & Publishing: Santa Cruz Waves (Calif.)
  • Museums, Parks & Zoos: National Aquarium (Md.)
  • Non-Profit (NGO): Common Wealth Inc. (Ohio), Merchants of Reality (Calif.), United Community Action Network (UCAN) (Ore.)
  • Other: EcoClean (Colo.), Old School Tattoo (Wash.)
  • Printing & Packaging: Lane Printing & Advertising (Mass.), Modern Litho / Brown Printing (Mo.), Quicksilver Photo Lab (Wash.)
  • Recreation: Native Tours (Fla.), Two-Wheel Feel (Colo.)
  • Restaurants & Cafes: A Pig in a Fur Coat (Wis.), Brooklyn House Restaurant (Ore.), Carnitas Snack Shack (Calif.), Con Amici Wine Bar (Wisc.), Fearless Baking (Ore.), Gates & Brovi (Wisc.), Green Sage Café (N.C.), Humble Pie (Wash.), Limones (N.C.), Linger (Colo.), Marigold Kitchen (Wisc.), Next Level Burger (Ore.), Root Down (Colo.), Sardine (Wisc.), St. Clouds (Wash.), The Savory Grain (Va.), Tilford Restaurant Group (Mo.), Zhu Dang (Wash.)
  • Retail: Community Food Co-op (Wash.), Cured (Colo.), Ferdinand Studio & Storefront (Maine), Finger Puppets Inc. (Calif.), Midwest Mountaineering (Minn.), Patton Avenue Pet Company (N.C.), Terra Bella Flowers (Wash.)
  • Sports Teams & Venues: ASA/USA Softball (Okla.)
  • Technology & Telecom: CoreSpace, Inc. (Texas)
  • Wineries & Breweries: Aslan Brewing Company (Wash.), Badget State Brewing (Wisc.), Big Rip Brewing (Mo.), Broc Cellars (Calif.), Door County Brewing Company (Wisc.), Equinox Brewing (Colo.), Falling Sky Brewing LLC (Ore.), Logboat Brewing Company (Mo.), Lost Rhino Brewing Company (Va.), Magnolia Brewing Company (Calif.), Paradox Beer Company (Colo.), Parkway Brewing Company (Va.), Pug Ryan's Brewing Company (Colo.)

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GPP by the Numbers

Companies appearing on the Fortune 500® list are well represented in the EPA Green Power Partnership. As of July 2015, EPA's list of Fortune 500 Partners includes 78 organizations in the GPP that collectively use nearly 14 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power, including wind, solar, biogas, biomass, and low-impact hydro. In addition to procuring green power through power purchase agreements (PPAs), renewable energy certificates (RECs), and green pricing and marketing products, these companies collectively use more than 510 million kWh of green power generated on-site.

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78 companies on the #Fortune500 list are #EPAGreenPower Partners, using nearly 14 billion kWh of green power. More: 1.usa.gov/1ScfWgf

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Partner Spotlight – Saint Paul RiverCentre and Xcel Energy Center

Saint Paul RiverCentre and Xcel Energy CenterSolar array on the roof of Saint Paul RiverCentre and Xcel Energy Center.Saint Paul RiverCentre and Xcel Energy Center is an almost 1.3 million square-foot event venue in Saint Paul, Minnesota. As a National Hockey League (NHL) hockey arena, convention center, and historic auditorium, this complex greets more than 2 million visitors per year for a wide range of events. The complex has been working since 2009 to become a leader in sustainable operations, and has integrated a range of programs that reduce waste, save energy and water, and promote the use of renewable energy technologies.

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 just one part of Saint Paul RiverCentre and Xcel Energy Center's broader sustainability efforts. In addition to reducing our carbon footprint through energy efficiency activities, we employ multiple green power strategies to achieve this reduction, through a combination of on-site and off-site sources. Through this holistic approach to environmental stewardship, our complex has become a regional leader in sustainability and a model for other organizations in the community.

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. We have been building our renewable energy portfolio for five years. We currently use more than 60 percent green power, with additional renewable energy in the form of a large solar thermal array. While no specific next goal is in place, we continually seek out new opportunities to add renewable energy to this portfolio. We are currently exploring options for subscribing to a Community Solar Garden, which has the potential to bring us to nearly 100 percent green power.

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. The most innovative thing about our complex's renewable energy strategy is its breadth. This program currently has five different elements:

  • An 81 kilowatt solar photovoltaic system on the RiverCentre parking ramp, in partnership with the City of Saint Paul and funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.
  • A 1 megawatt solar thermal system on Saint Paul RiverCentre's roof that is tied into the local District Energy system, which was a partnership with District Energy, the City of Saint Paul and the Solar America Cities program.
  • A 3-year contract to participate in Xcel Energy's Windsource program, covering 16 percent of annual electric use. This covers the electric use for all Minnesota Wild hockey-home game days as well as several events on the convention center side, and makes the complex one of the Top 5 purchasers of Windsource in Minnesota.
  • A 2-year contract for renewable energy certificates (RECs) through Sterling Planet, covering over 7.2 million kWh of electric use annually.
  • An innovative program in partnership with Xcel Energy, dubbed "Windsource for Events." This program gives participants the opportunity to purchase green power for their convention, concert, or other event through a short-term Windsource contract covering a defined block of time. In addition to boosting the total quantity of green power use in the building, the program also creates an educational platform for the facility to introduce green power to new events. It also provides a way for those events to participate in green power purchasing in an easy and inexpensive way.

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. The biggest lesson learned through this process is that good partnerships are vital to success. We are fortunate to have great partners that provided both funding and knowledge that helped shepherd these projects to a successful completion.

The second lesson is that renewable energy isn't just about having panels on the roof. By also purchasing Green-e certified RECs, we are furthering the growth of renewable energy in the region. This is accomplished because such long-term contracts help create greater market demand for larger wind and solar projects.

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. Perhaps the best advice we can offer is that organizations should look to available resources that will help them make a good decision. The EPA, many local governments, and leading community partners can all help a company make informed decisions about what kind of renewable energy to pursue. For example, when buying off-site renewable energy it is important to know that one is purchasing a reputable product; look for third-party verification (like Green-e) to be sure of the product's quality.

The biggest challenge for us was in knowing where to start the process. Fortunately, funding became available at just the right time to facilitate the first steps, and once the ball was rolling each next step became progressively easier.

Learn more about Saint Paul RiverCentre and Xcel Energy Center's sustainability initiatives.

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Early Bird Registration Period Extended for Renewable Energy Markets 2015!

The early bird registration period for Renewable Energy Markets (REM) 2015 has been extended until Friday, August 14th! Register early to save $300 off the regular attendee rate and participate in the leading forum for the clean energy markets focused on the states, businesses, organizations, and households that choose clean, renewable electricity today. Each year, REM also hosts the Green Power Leadership Awards, which GPP co-sponsors with the Center for Resource Solutions to recognize the leading actions of organizations, programs, suppliers, and individuals that advance the development of green power. This year, REM is being held October 18-20 in Washington, D.C. Register today!

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Climate Leadership Conference Call for Proposals & Climate Leadership Awards Application Period

Call for Speaker & Session Proposals: 2016 Climate Leadership Conference
Share Your Ideas, Case Studies and Best Practices with the CLC Audience of over 400 Climate, Energy and Sustainability Professionals
The Climate Leadership Conference (CLC) provides business, government, non-profit, and academic professionals addressing climate change in their operations a platform to hear from other thought leaders and engage in cross-sectoral discussions on climate-related opportunities, challenges, policy, and best practices. The CLC program focuses on confronting climate through an exchange of plenary panel discussions and interviews, multi-track breakout sessions, roundtables, networking events and pre/post conference educational workshops.

CLC invites professionals engaged in the climate change, energy, and overall sustainability space who may inspire new ideas, facilitate instrumental dialogue, and introduce new opportunities to the 2016 CLC audience are encouraged to submit proposals by September 15, 2015: http://www.climateleadershipconference.org/speakers/recommend-a-speaker/

Apply for an EPA Climate Leadership Award (CLA) to showcase individual and organizational leadership in response to climate change. Award winners will be recognized during the 2016 Climate Leadership Conference!

EPA's Center for Corporate Climate Leadership co-sponsors the Climate Leadership Awards with NGO partners: the Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES) and The Climate Registry. EPA is also the headline sponsor for the Climate Leadership Conference. Please direct any questions to: questions@climateleadershipawards.org

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