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EPA's Green Power Purchases & Results
In This Section
In September 2006, EPA became the first major federal agency to purchase green power equal to 100 percent of its estimated annual electricity use nationwide. In FY 2008, EPA purchased nearly 259 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of green power for its 175 facilities across the country.
In March 2009, the Agency signed a contract to purchase enough green power to continue offsetting 100 percent of EPA facilities' electricity use through the end of FY 2009. In June 2009, EPA signed an additional contract to purchase enough green power to continue offsetting 100 percent of EPA facilities’ electricity use through March 31, 2010.
EPA has increased its green power purchases over the past decade, as shown in the EPA's Electricity Consumption Offset by Green Power chart. By purchasing green power, EPA reduces emissions associated with its conventional electricity use. In FY 2008, EPA's green power purchases avoided nearly 390 million pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions1,2— equivalent to removing 32,397 cars from the road for an entire year. The types of renewable energy supported by EPA are shown in the EPA's Green Power Purchases by Energy Source pie chart.
EPA's green power purchases represent approximately 100 percent of its estimated annual electricity use. The Green Power as a Share of EPA's Total Electricity Use line chart illustrates EPA's increasing percentage of its total electricity use that is offset by the purchase of green power. Increases in EPA's green power purchases are directly correlated to reductions in emissions associated with its electricity purchases.
Individual EPA facilities are using different mixes of green power and on-site renewable energy. Click anywhere on the map for a complete list of EPA's major facilities and links to more information.
1 EPA uses the Agency's Emissions & Generation Resource Integrated Database (eGRID) to calculate greenhouse gas emission offsets from EPA's extensive green power purchases. The data presented here reflect eGRID2007 version 1.1, which EPA released in January 2009.
2 Federal “cap and trade” programs in the United States set a maximum level, or “cap,” for total power plant emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx) in states approximately east of the Mississippi, and sulfur dioxide (SO2) nationwide. These programs distribute a fixed number, or the capped level, of tradable emission allowances—the right to emit 1 ton of the pollutant—to electric generating plants. Renewable energy-generating facilities typically do not receive allowances, though there are some exceptions. Only by receiving and retiring allowances do such facilities reduce capped pollutants.
Nevertheless, the nearly 259 million kWh of green power EPA purchased in FY 2008 reduced demand for conventional power generation and increased demand for the generation of renewable energy. If generated by conventional means, the amount of renewable energy purchased by EPA would emit nearly 180,000 pounds of NOx and 1.45 million pounds of SO2.