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Green Power Planet #14
September 11 , 2006

The Green Power Planet provides updated Green Power Partnership program information to Partners and interested stakeholders. In this edition of the Green Power Planet:

Welcome New Green Power Partners
Register for 11th National Renewable Energy Marketing Conference
Green Power Award Nominations Increase; Winners To Be Notified September 15
Vail Resorts in the News: Chooses Wind Power for 100 Percent of Electricity Use
Top Partner Lists Updates
- National Top 25 List
- College and University Top 10 List
- Retail Top 10 List
Sector Spotlight: EPA Releases Two New Top 10 Sector Lists
- New! - Top 10 Local Government List
- New! - Top 10 Federal Government List
Partners & Providers: Get the Most Value From Your Green Power Purchase
Energy Star’s “Change a Light Day” serves up opportunities for Green Power Partners
Upcoming Industry Events for the Green Power Partnership
Contacting EPA’s Green Power Partnership
Green Power Planet Archives

Welcome New Green Power Partners

Welcome to the following 42 organizations that recently joined the Green Power Partnership:

Colleges and Universities: Auraria Higher Education Center (Colo.); Bates College (Maine); University of California at Santa Cruz; Drexel University (Pa.); University of Washington; Westminster College (Utah); Whitman College (Wash.)

Healthcare: New York-Presbyterian Hospital

Local, State, and Federal Government and Non-Profits: City of Ann Arbor (Mich.); Artists for Humanity, Inc. (Mass.); City of Bellingham (Wash.); Bend Metro Parks and Recreation District (Ore.); ForestEthics (Calif.); Global Neuroscience Initiative Foundation (Calif.); Kentfield School District (Calif.); Palo Alto Regional Water Quality Control Plant (Calif.); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (D.C.)

Private Sector: CTI Paper USA (Wis.); Curtis Packaging Corporation (Conn.); Elk River Partners (Colo.); Home Savings Bank (Wis.); Informz Inc. (N.Y.); Instant Karma Films (Calif.); Method Products Inc. (Calif.); Monroe Litho, Inc. (N.Y.); National Envelope (Texas); Network Cybernetics Corporation (Texas); Pepper Papers (Wis.); SCA Americas (Pa.); Social Venture Network (Calif.); L.P. Thebault Company (N.J.); Touchmark at Coffee Creek (Okla.); Trinity Industries Inc. (Texas); The World Company (Kan.); WORLDWIN Papers (Wis.)

Retail/Food Services: Coldwater Creek Inc. (Ida.); Deschutes Brewery, Inc. (Ore.); Fantasy Futons (Ariz.); Fired Up Inc. (Texas); Good Harvest Market (Wis.); The Paper Mill Store.com (Wis.); Rooms to Go (Texas)

Travel, Tourism and Recreation: American Alpine Institute (Wash.); Chena Hot Springs Resort (Alaska); Jackson Hole Mountain Resort (Wyo.); Sierra Designs (Colo.); Vail Resorts (Colo.)

Review the complete list of Partners at http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/partners/index.htm.

Register for the 11th National Renewable Energy Marketing Conference

NREMC logo

Registration is open for the 11th National Renewable Energy Marketing Conference taking place December 3-6, in San Francisco, California. EPA’s Green Power Partnership is a Platinum Sponsor and conference organizer. The theme for this year’s conference is:

Renewables on the Rise: Market Momentum, Development and Innovation

Conference organizers hope this year’s conference will attract more than 500 attendees from across the green power industry, comprised of electric utilities, power marketers, renewable energy developers, retail/wholesale power suppliers, equipment manufacturers, government agencies, large energy users, and others.

Attendees can are encouraged to join one of the many special events during the conference:

Wind Farm Tour
Napa Valley Solar Wineries Tour
Evening San Francisco Bay Cruise

The conference will be held at the Renaissance Parc 55 Marriott Hotel in San Francisco, California. To make reservations contact:

55 Cyril Magnin Street
San Francisco, California 94102
Phone: (415) 392-8000
Fax: (415) 403-6602
Toll-Free: (800) 650-7272

For more information please visit the Renewable Energy Marketing Conference Web site.

For registration information, visit http://www.renewableenergymarketing.net/reg.htm.

For information on sponsor opportunities, visit http://www.renewableenergymarketing.net/spons.htm.

Green Power Award Nominations Increase; Winners to be Notified Sept. 15

The number of award nominations for the 2006 Green Power Leadership Awards increased this year, due in part to the increasing use of green power by organizations around the nation. The 2006 Green Power Awards will recognize outstanding commitments and achievements in the green power marketplace in the following three categories:

Purchasers – includes Partners or prospective Partners of the Green Power Partnership
Partnership Suppliers – includes renewable electricity providers, renewable energy certificate marketers, project developers, and equipment vendors
Market Development - includes individuals, companies, and other industry leaders

Award winners will be notified on Friday, September 15th.

Award winners will be recognized at the Leadership Awards banquet on December 4, 2006, in conjunction with the 11th National Renewable Energy Marketing Conference at the Renaissance Parc 55 Marriott Hotel in San Francisco, California.

Vail Resorts in the News; Chooses Wind Power for 100 Percent of Electricity Use

Vail Resorts Inc. made national headlines in August when it announced that the Company will offset 100 percent of its energy use by purchasing nearly 152 million kilowatt-hours of wind energy. The purchase will cover the electricity use for its five mountain resorts; its lodging properties, including RockResorts and Grand Teton Lodge Company; all of its 125 retail locations (operated through Specialty Sports Venture); and its new corporate headquarters in Broomfield, Colorado.

By purchasing renewable energy credits equal to the company's entire electricity use, Vail Resorts becomes the second largest purchaser of wind power among EPA’s Green Power corporate Partners. Vail Resorts announced this initiative as part of the company's ongoing environmental efforts.

Based on average national emissions rates, EPA estimates that Vail Resorts' commitment to clean and renewable wind power will avoid over 211 million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions annually. This amount of CO₂ is the equivalent to reducing the CO₂ emissions associated with more than 18,000 cars each year or the equivalent CO₂ emissions associated with nearly 11 million gallons of gasoline.

Vail’s announcement received widespread national media attention, including stories that appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. Additionally, the story was featured in dozens of other national, local, trade (energy industry), and ski publications.

You can view Vail’s news coverage by visiting the Newsroom page on EPA’s Green Power Partnership Web site.

If your organization has media coverage of its recent green power announcement, please e-mail it to Cena Swisher (cena.swisher@erg.com, 703-841-0398), so that we can post it on the Green Power Partnership Web site.

Top Partner Lists Updates

National Top 25 List: Air Force Remains No. 1 nationally

EPA released its updated National Top 25 list in July, highlighting the largest national purchasers in the Green Power Partnership. Once again, the U.S. Air Force maintained its spot as the top purchaser of green power in the nation. Duke University made the list for the first time at No. 17, establishing itself as one of the leading green power purchasers in the nation and among all college and university Partners. The National Top 25 list reflects Partner purchase information through June 26, 2006.

The actions of the Top 25 Partners are helping drive the development of new renewable energy sources of electricity generation. Combined, their purchases amount to 3.7 billion kilowatt-hours annually, which is approximately 70 percent of the green power commitments made by all Partners. The green power purchases of these Top 25 Partners provide an excellent example to their peers, customers, and communities where they operate.

College and University Top 10 List: Penn Remains No. 1

In July, EPA’s Green Power Partnership also updated its sector-specific College and University Top 10 list. This list reflects renewable energy purchases made by Partners of the Green Power Partnership through June 26, 2006.

The University of Pennsylvania maintained its spot as the top purchaser of green power among leading colleges and universities. Duke University, which tripled its purchase to more than 54 million kilowatt-hours, claimed the No. 2 spot on the list, followed by Northwestern University (No. 3) and Western Washington University (No. 4). Two new additions to the list (and Partnership) were the University of Central Oklahoma (No. 5) and the University of Washington (No. 8).

Retail Top 10 List: Whole Foods Once Again No. 1

Topping the Retail Top 10 list once again was Whole Foods Market, followed in second place by Starbucks. Rounding out the top five retail purchasers of green power are Safeway Inc., FedEx Kinko's, and Staples. A newcomer to the list is the national outdoor retailer Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), reaching No.10 on the list, while FedEx Kinko's has jumped to No. 4 from its previous position at No. 6.

The next update to all the Top Partner lists will be posted in October 2006. All new Partner information or updates about existing Partners must be received by September 21 to be included in the October 2006 update.

Partners with updated green power purchase information for inclusion in the October update should contact Anthony Amato (anthony.amato@erg.com, 617-357-4630).

Sector Spotlight: EPA Releases Two New Top 10 Lists

In an effort to recognize top Green Power Purchasers among different sectors, EPA released its first national Top 10 lists for Local and Federal Government purchasers in July.

New! - Top 10 Local Government List

The Top 10 Local Government list highlights the largest renewable energy purchases made by municipal and local government entities currently in the Green Power Partnership. The Top 10 list reflects Partner purchase information through June 26, 2006.

Topping the list was the City of San Diego, (Calif.), followed in second place by the Austin Independent School District (Texas). Rounding out the top six local government purchasers of green power are Montgomery County Wind Buyers Group (Md.), East Bay Municipal Utility District’s Main WWT Plant (Calif.), the Round Rock Independent School District (Texas), and the City of Portland (Ore.).

New! - Top 10 Federal Government List

The Top 10 Federal Government list highlights the largest renewable energy purchases made by Federal government agencies currently in the Green Power Partnership. The Top 10 list reflects Partner purchase information through June 26, 2006.

Topping the list was the U.S. Air Force, followed in second place by EPA. Rounding out the top five Federal government green power purchasers are the U.S Department of Energy, the U.S. General Services Administration’s Region 2, and the U.S. Army’s Fort Carson.

Partners with updated green power purchase information for inclusion in the October update should contact Anthony Amato (anthony.amato@erg.com, 617-357-4630).

Partners & Providers: Get the Most Value From Your Green Power Purchase

EPA is available to assist qualifying Partner organizations in making announcements about recent green power purchases. Providers are encouraged to contact EPA in order generate the most value for your clients’ green power purchases. Some of the services offered by EPA include:

Customized press release template development
EPA quotes
CO₂ emissions equivalency calculations and statements
Use of the EPA Partnership’s Partner Mark
Environmental claims verification
Event banner artwork development
Press release boilerplate Partnership description
Post your release to the EPA Web site for additional coverage

In some circumstances, EPA can also work with your organization on the disbursement of your organization’s press release. Working with EPA provides credibility and helps increase the value of your green power purchase. For further information, please contact Allison Dennis (dennis.allison@epa.gov, 202-343-9526).

Energy Star – “Change a Light Day”

photo of lightbulb. The annual ENERGY STAR Change a Light Day is coming up this October 4, and is a good opportunity for organizations to participate in a nationwide energy-saving campaign. The ENERGY STAR Change a Light, Change the World Campaign is a national call-to-action to encourage every individual in the United States to help save energy and protect the environment through energy-efficient lighting.

This year it is easy and fun for organizations and companies to leverage the Campaign as an employee outreach and awareness activity. Organizations are invited to play a leadership role by setting an organizational pledge goal against the online ENERGY STAR Change a Light Pledge, where individuals pledge to change at least one light at home or in the office to one that’s earned the Government’s ENERGY STAR.

“Pledge drivers” are provided with tools to promote their involvement and track their individual progress online and, ultimately, to demonstrate their group’s potential energy and environmental savings back to their community or media.

To join other organizations and companies who have already registered as pledge drivers, visit the ENERGY STAR Change a Light Web site or contact ENERGY STAR contractor Sarah Banas (changealight@cadmusgroup.com, 617-673-7105).