Top green power purchasers purchase 1.6 million MWh
WASHINGTON, DC, US, April 27, 2005 (Refocus Weekly)
Three federal departments are among the top ten purchasers of green power in the United States.
The top 25 purchasers obtain 1.6 million MWh of green power each year,
according to the Environmental Protection Agency’s quarterly summary of the
Green Power Partnership. That is sufficient for 150,000 homes.
The U.S. Air Force is top, with annual purchases or 321,000 MWh for air force
bases across the country. Last year, the Air Force purchased 40% of the green
power purchased by the federal government, and has committed to expand its use
of renewables to reduce reliance on foreign energy sources.
The initiative is handled by the Air Force Civil Engineer Support Agency at
Tyndall Air Force Base in Florida, and includes 138,000 MWh for Edwards Air
Force Base in California, which supplies 60% of the base’s power needs and
avoided costs of US$42 million over a five-year period during the state’s
recent energy crisis. The Dyess Air Force Base in Texas was the first base to be
100% powered by renewables, with 76,000 MWh from wind turbines, and was the role
model for eight other air bases and seven other defense installations in Texas,
which now have purchased a total of 30 million kWh of renewables.
Fairchild Air Force Base in Washington, Minot in North Dakota, Ellsworth in
South Dakota, Cannon in New Mexico, Goodfellow in Texas, Sheppard in Texas and
Laughlin air force base in Texas are the other large purchasers of green power
among the Air Force.
Second on the list is Johnson & Johnson, which bought 241,000 MWh of
renewable energy last year. The New Jersey manufacturing company has committed
to reduce its CO2 emissions by 7% below 1990 levels by 2010 and its green power
use in 2004 equaled 18% of its global electricity use and included the direct
purchase of low-impact hydro and wind power, on-site solar PV, and renewable
energy certificates from wind power and biomass facilities.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency was third with 220 MWh to supply 75% of
its consumption, the World Bank with 85 MWh for 100% of its power from wind, and
the U.S. General Services Administration with 76 MWh for 33%.
Rounding out the top ten were Whole Foods Market with 71 MWh, the city of San
Diego (California) with 60 MWh, New Jersey Consolidated Energy Savings Program
with 55 MWh, WhiteWave Foods with 50 MWh, and Austin (Texas) Independent School
District with 49 MWh.
Other companies in the top-25 list were Staples (48 MWh), University of
Pennsylvania (40), Maryland’s Montgomery County (38), Advanced Micro Devices
in Texas (36), state of Pennsylvania (35), FedEx Kinko (27), East Bay Municipal
Utility District (26), BMW Manufacturing (26), California city of Santa Monica
(22), U.S. Navy (21), Harvard University (20), Texas Round Rock Independent
School District (18), Oregon city of Portland (18), Pennsylvania State
University (18) and the U.S. Department of Energy (14 MWh last year).
Of the identified sources, 18 were wind, 10 biogas, 9 solar, 8 small hydro, 4
biomass and 1 geothermal.
The Green Power Partnership is a voluntary EPA program that standardizes green
power procurement, and partners pledge to switch to renewables for a portion of
their power needs in return for EPA technical assistance. The Partnership
currently includes 550 partners, including companies, states, federal agencies,
trade associations and universities.
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