ALBANY, NEW YORK, October 4, 2004 - The World Resources Institute (WRI) and its Green Power Market Development Group today received the 2004 National Green Power Pilot Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the Center for Resource Solutions.

Selected as the best of nearly 50 nominees, WRI and its Green Power Group received the award during a ceremony here at the Ninth National Green Power Marketing Conference. For the past four years, the National Green Power Pilot Award has been given to an individual or organization that has made significant, groundbreaking contributions to the development of markets for renewable energy in the U.S.

"The work of these nationally recognized Fortune 500 companies in the Green Power Group is helping usher green power into the mainstream," said WRI President Jonathan Lash. "Their impact and contribution to the long-term viability of the renewable energy marketplace is extraordinary."

Created by WRI in 2000, the Green Power Group is a unique commercial and industrial partnership dedicated to building corporate markets for renewable energy. Its members are Alcoa Inc., Cargill Dow LLC, Delphi Corporation, The Dow Chemical Company, DuPont, FedEx Kinko's, General Motors, IBM, Interface, Johnson & Johnson, Pitney Bowes, and Staples. The collaboration seeks to develop 1,000 megawatts of new, cost-competitive green power in the U.S. by 2010.

When the Green Power Group formed, the vast majority of corporate America was unfamiliar with renewable energy markets, technologies, and products. The business case for purchasing green power was unclear and few products were designed to accommodate the scale and economic realities of the corporate customer. The Green Power Group has been working to overcome these barriers and develop innovative, replicable purchasing strategies.

Members have found opportunities to lower exposure to fluctuating fossil fuel prices through green power. On-site projects such as fuel cells or solar power are helping companies protect themselves against grid disruptions. Using green power also is reducing the carbon dioxide emissions of business activities.

To date, all twelve Green Power Group members and WRI have completed green power projects and purchases totaling 123 megawatts, enough capacity to power more than 90,000 homes. These purchases have occurred at 330 facilities across 26 states. Members have become the nation's largest corporate users of renewable energy certificates, energy from landfill gas, and hydrogen fuel cells. Members also are now leading buyers of power from wind farms and on-site solar photovoltaic systems.

As a result of recent purchases, three corporate members of the Green Power Group were also honored at the conference. Staples was named Corporate Green Power Partner of the Year, while Johnson & Johnson and Interface both received Corporate Green Power Purchaser awards.

World Resources Institute (http://www.wri.org) is an environmental research and policy organization that goes beyond research to create practical ways to protect the Earth and improve people's lives.