Green Power Leadership Awards
The 2019 Green Power Leadership Awards application period has closed.
EPA will present the awards in conjunction with the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) Exit during the which will take place in San Diego, California from September 4-6. The awards serve to recognize the leading actions of organizations, programs, and individuals that significantly advance the development of green power sources.
See below for more information about award categories, , and the Renewable Energy Markets Conference.
| U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | Center for Resource Solutions |
|---|---|
| Green Power Partner of the Year | Green Power Market Development |
| Excellence in Green Power Use | International Green Power Market Development |
| Direct Project Engagement | Leadership in Green Power Education |
| Sustained Excellence in Green Power | Green Power Leader of the Year |
| Green Power Community of the Year |
EPA Partner Award Categories
- Green Power Partner of the Year Award: Recognizes Partners that distinguish themselves through their green power use, leadership, overall strategy, and impact on the green power market. Winners represent a beacon for other organizations to follow, represent best in class in terms of market impact, and have a compelling story that is both unique and replicable to a wider set of market participants. This category is the highest organizational honor in EPA's Green Power Leadership Awards and the activities are commensurate with this level of recognition.
- Excellence in Green Power Use Award: Recognizes Partners that distinguish themselves by using green power in amounts that exceed the minimum benchmark requirements, or where the partner can demonstrate a distinct market impact through innovation, communications and stakeholder engagement. Winners in this category perform better than what is minimally required and offer a compelling example to their sector peers.
- Direct Project Engagement Award: Recognizes Partners that distinguish themselves through direct project engagement using a variety of financing structures to access green power. Eligible direct project engagements include on- and off-site self-generation, on- and off-site physical power purchase agreements (PPAs), on- and off-site financial power purchase agreements, shared renewable projects, and utility green tariffs. Direct project engagement activities will be evaluated based on their direct impact and contribution to the transformation of the market, such as development of new projects, long-term commitments with eligible projects, etc. An applicant’s contractual relationship to the project shall be for no fewer than five (5) years. Self-generation shall be considered a 20-year contract term.
- Sustained Excellence in Green Power Award: Recognizes continual leadership in advancing green power development. This award category recognizes a combination of “sustained” green power use coupled with “excellence” in procurement size and diversity of supply. Successful applicants shall also demonstrate a similar level of sustained excellence in terms of communications and market engagement related to their use of green power. To qualify, applicants must have won at least three (3) previous Green Power Leadership Awards—including:
- one “Direct Project Engagement” (previously known as On-site Generation) Award, and
- one “Partner of the Year” Award.
Applicants shall demonstrate excellence by using at least 100 percent green power for their organization-wide electricity use. Partners must also have maintained 100 percent green power use for at least three years prior to applying for this award. Organizations can only receive a Sustained Excellence award once every three years, over which time applicants must maintain continued sustained excellence activities. - Green Power Community of the Year Award: Recognizes EPA Green Power Communities that distinguish themselves through their green power usage, leadership, citizen engagement, renewable energy strategy, and impact on the green power market. Winners coordinate successful community campaigns to buy green power in amounts that exceed the minimum GPC requirements. Both the success of the GPC campaign as well as the leadership of the local government will be evaluated under this category.
Center for Resource Solutions Award Categories
- Green Power Market Development: Recognizes organizations and individuals building and growing the voluntary market for green power. This may include organizations using renewable energy, electricity suppliers and REC providers, policy advocates, leaders in project development, and others influential in driving green power. The award honors industry leaders that are innovators and champions of renewable energy and whose actions are supporting the accelerated development of green power markets.
- International Green Power Market Development: Recognizes organizations and individuals who are building markets or demonstrating leadership in green power procurement outside North America. This may include organizations using renewable energy, project developers, policy advocates, certificate providers, electricity suppliers, or others influential in developing and growing green power markets.
- Leadership in Green Power Education: Recognizes effective and unique programs and organizations focusing on green power education. This award honors work that spreads the word about the environmental benefits of green power, and efforts to boost public interest in renewable energy.
- Green Power Leader of the Year: Recognizes outstanding leadership by an individual who is leveraging his or her influence, power, position, or purchasing power to increase the prevalence of renewable energy. Evaluation criteria include: efforts and achievements of an individual, contributions to building the green power market, and dedication to and vision for renewable energy.
What does winning an EPA Green Power Leadership Award mean to an organization?
An EPA Green Power Leadership Award offers significant opportunities for recipients:
- Demonstrate your environmental leadership
"Green power purchases are an effective and important way we can implement renewable energy sources as we work to reduce our carbon footprint. As an EPA Sustained Excellence Award winner, we have increased our purchases that are applied company-wide, achieving 100 percent green power in 2010, 2011 and 2012. We are pleased to have extended this commitment through 2015." - Ken Bonning, Senior Executive Vice President, Kohl's - Become part of a prestigious group
"Pearson is proud to receive this prestigious award from the US EPA for a second time. Green power is an important tool in helping combat climate change and we are honored to stand alongside the many US schools and universities that also choose clean sources of electricity as part of their sustainability strategies." - Rich Glicini, SVP Corporate Social Responsibility, Pearson - Promote participation in the Green Power Partnership
"We're thrilled to be part of the EPA's Green Power Partnership. It's an unprecedented opportunity for us to integrate this meaningful and long-lasting environmental initiative into our operations." - Brad Haeberle, Vice President and Sustainability Council Chair, Siemens Industry, Inc.'s Building Technologies Division - Be featured at the
Award winners will be recognized at the industry's paramount annual gathering attended by leading renewable energy and green power industry stakeholders.
Green Power Leadership Award Application Process
The 2019 Green Power Leadership Awards application period is now closed. EPA will present the awards in conjunction with the Renewable Energy Markets Conference, which will be held September 4-6 in San Diego, California.
EPA's Green Power Leadership Awards recognize exceptional achievement and leading actions of organizations, programs, and individuals that significantly advance the development of green power sources.
Learn more about the , or winners from previous years.
| U.S. Environmental Protection Agency | Center for Resource Solutions |
|---|---|
| Green Power Partner of the Year | Green Power Market Development |
| Excellence in Green Power Use | International Green Power Market Development |
| Direct Project Engagement | Leadership in Green Power Education |
| Sustained Excellence in Green Power | Green Power Leader of the Year |
| Green Power Community of the Year |
Visit the web page for information about last year's winners.
Please contact us if you would like information on eligibility requirements and evaluation criteria for the 2019 Green Power Leadership Awards.
Eligibility Requirements for the Partner Awards
- Applicants are either currently or will become an EPA Green Power Partner by March 15, 2019.
- Only U.S.-based operations and facilities are eligible.
- Only eligible green power generated from U.S.-based renewable energy resources will be considered. Please review the Partnership Requirements for more information.
- Only green power purchases made and activities conducted since the applicant's last award are eligible. If the Applicant has never won an award, the history of green power procurement is eligible for consideration.
- Applicants must have completed a green power purchase or have an operational on-site green power generator by March 15, 2019. The green power purchase is considered complete when delivery is executed or commercial operation has commenced.
- Previous winners and applicants are eligible, but will be judged based on their activities since the last award cycle.
- Applicants will be evaluated on the green power use they have reported to the Green Power Partnership as of March 15, 2019. GPLA application process is not a replacement for reporting of official green power use data to EPA. Partners will be evaluated based on data reported through the annual reporting process.
- Please note: Eligibility will be verified during the review process, and finalists will need to pass an EPA compliance screen in order to be selected.
Things to Remember
- EPA considers eligible renewable energy sources to be solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, and low-impact hydroelectric sources.
- Partners must retain the associated renewable energy certificates (RECs) for all purchases, particularly for on-site renewable energy systems.
- To be considered for GPP, any renewable energy use must be "incremental" and above and beyond the "standard mix" provided by utilities (i.e., come from the voluntary market and not the compliance market).
Evaluation Criteria
Applications are evaluated based on the following criteria:
- Green Power Use Information:
- Total annual size of green power procurement (including qualifying on-site generation)
- Scope of green power commitment (facility, organization-wide)
- Green power use as a percent of annual baseload electricity use, given the Green Power Partnership's required minimum purchase level
- Contract duration (i.e., term of commitment)
- Impact on new supply
- If previous award winner, change in level of procurement since last award
- Innovation and creativity of green power procurement and impact on market
- Organizational strategy for investing in green power (past, present, future)
- Leadership in using green power within a region or business sector
- Communications efforts to promote green power usage both internally and externally, including media outreach and use of Green Power Partner mark (past, present, and future), as well as plans to promote the EPA Green Power Leadership Award, should the applicant be selected
Selection Process
An EPA evaluation panel reviews and evaluates all applications submitted by the deadline. Applications must be accurate and complete. EPA reviews all applicants to ensure that they are in good standing with EPA. Finalists will need to pass an EPA compliance screen in order to be selected. EPA will notify award winners and applicants in late summer.
Awards Ceremony
Each fall, award winners are recognized at the Green Power Leadership Awards Ceremony held during the Renewable Energy Markets (REM) Conference. This year's REM Conference will be held in San Diego, California from September 4-6, 2019. Visit the Renewable Energy Markets Conference website Exit for more information.
Questions?
To learn more about the awards and the conference, visit the Green Power Leadership Awards web page and the Renewable Energy Markets Conference website Exit.
Green Power Leadership Award Winners
Green Power Leadership Award Winners
Excellence in Green Power Use
Green Power Partner of the Year
Direct Project Engagement
- Jackson Family Wines
- Michigan State University
- The Procter & Gamble Company
- T-Mobile US, Inc.
- University of California
Excellence in Green Power Use
Anheuser-Busch
Founded in St. Louis in 1852, Anheuser-Busch brews, packages, transports, and delivers more than 100 brands. Today, the brewer owns and operates 23 breweries, 20 distributorships, and 22 agricultural and packaging facilities, employing more than 18,000 people across the United States.
In April, Anheuser-Busch launched its U.S. 2025 Sustainability Goals, which focus on four key areas —renewable electricity and carbon reduction, water stewardship, smart agriculture, and circular packaging — and looks to build on the brewer’s long history of environmental stewardship and unwavering commitment to supporting their communities. A new Green Power Partner in 2018, Anheuser-Busch is receiving a 2018 Excellence in Green Power Use Award for:
- Procuring more than 727 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) for 55 percent of its annual electricity use from renewable generation, making it the 15th largest user from the Green Power Partnership in the nation.
- Innovative procurement and direct impact on new supply through a 15-year financial power purchase agreement (PPA) with the Budweiser Wind Farm at Thunder Ranch, Oklahoma, which generates nearly 603 million kWh annually.
- Onsite wind and solar generation of nearly 6 million kWh and more than 118 million kWh of Green-e certified renewable energy certificates (RECs) purchased.
- Including a renewable electricity symbol on all Budweiser packaging, starting in April 2018.
- Anheuser-Busch’s commitment to secure 100 percent of purchased electricity from renewable sources by 2025.
- Impactful communications of Anheuser-Busch’s brand and sustainability commitments to customers and stakeholders across the country.
Equinix, Inc.
Equinix, Inc. is a leading global interconnection and colocation provider with a long-term goal of reaching 100 percent clean energy use internationally. Equinix became a Green Power Partner in 2015. EPA is giving Equinix an Excellence in Green Power Use Award in 2018 for:
- Its impressive 900 million kilowatt-hour (kWh) increase in green power use, or a 42 percent growth rate year-over-year.
- Being the first data center company to publicly commit to a goal of 100 percent renewable energy use across its global footprint.
- Signing two cutting-edge financial power purchase agreements to supply 28 geographically-dispersed data centers with 225 MW of renewables coverage.
- Demonstrated commitment to green power communications.
Equinix also won an Excellence in Green Power Use Award in 2017.
Google Inc.
Google Inc. is an American multinational technology company that creates and provides Internet-related services and products. The company's mission is to organize the world's information in a universally accessible and useful way with minimal impact on the environment. Google Inc. has been chosen for a 2018 Excellence in Green Power Award for:
- Increasing its green power procurement by 645 million kilowatt-hour (kWh) in 2016, which expands the company's total green power procurement to 2.4 billion kWh, or 53 percent of its electric load in the United States.
- Procuring more than 2 billion kWh of green power from power purchase agreements (PPAs) and onsite generation, which have a direct and sizable impact on new green power supply.
- Utilizing varied green power products and supply types, ranging from onsite landfill gas and solar to utility green power products to long-term PPAs.
- Outstanding communications efforts, which include producing white papers on PPAs, green tariffs, and the company's RE100 goal.
Google Inc. joined the Green Power Partnership in 2011 and has previously won Partner of the Year Awards in 2011 and 2014, a Direct Project Engagement Award in 2016, and an Excellence in Green Power Award in 2017.
Starbucks Coffee Company
Starbucks Coffee Company, a global retailer with more than 28,000 stores around the world and a Green Power Partner since 2004, “has long known that the planet is its most important business partner.”1 EPA is giving Starbucks a 2018 Excellence in Green Power Use Award for:
- Its 100 percent green power use since 2015. The company is currently the largest retail purchaser from the Green Power Partnership in the nation.2
- Direct project engagement, including innovative procurement from a 47-megawatt solar farm in North Carolina, in which Starbucks was the chief investor thus helping the project come online.
- Increased green power use of more than 81 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) last year, and by more than 474 million kWh since 2014.
- Buying renewable energy certificates (RECs) from small and woman-owned businesses when possible.
- Impactful communications, both internally to employees and externally to customers, including educational signage in more than 600 stores that receive renewable energy from their solar farm in North Carolina.
Starbucks previously won a Green Power Purchasing Award in 2005 and 2007, as well as Partner of the Year in 2006.
Green Power Partner of the Year
Microsoft Corporation
Microsoft Corporation is focused on digital transformation for the era of an intelligent cloud and an intelligent edge. The company has been a Green Power Partner since 2012. EPA is recognizing Microsoft as 2018 Partner of the Year for:
- Earning the top spot on the Green Power Partnership’s National Top 100 Partners list for the first time, at more than 4.5 billion kilowatt-hours of green power use annually.
- Using 100 percent green power since 2013. Microsoft’s volume of green power use also increased by 36 percent in the past year.
- Its goal to increase the number of Microsoft data centers powered by local, directly connected renewable generation facilities—up to 50 percent of their facilities by the end of 2018.
- Working to create green power supply options that other companies can then replicate, such as the green tariff that Microsoft created with Black Hills in Wyoming.
- Establishing an innovative internal carbon fee to fund green power purchases.
Microsoft previously won Green Power Partner of the Year in 2012, 2013, and 2015, as well as a 2017 Excellence in Green Power Use Award.
Direct Project Engagement
Jackson Family Wines
Founded in 1982, Jackson Family Wines is a multi-generational, family-owned wine company featuring wineries and estate vineyards across California, Oregon, Italy, France, Australia, Chile, and South Africa. A Green Power Partner since 2008, Jackson Family Wines is receiving a 2018 Direct Project Engagement Award for:
- Procuring nearly 37 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power for 100 percent of their annual electricity usage.
- Using more than 9 million kWh of onsite solar generation and nearly 28 million kWh of Green-e certified renewable energy certificates (RECs).
- Purchasing green power on behalf of all 1,600 of its employees’ electricity use at home.
- Increased onsite solar generation over the past two years, from 2.5 megawatts in 2015 producing nearly 2.6 million kWh to 7.0 megawatts producing more than 9 million kWh in 2017.
- Excellent communications and outreach; goal of powering 50 percent of winemaking operations with onsite renewable generation by 2021; industry sector leadership; technology innovation through collaboration with Tesla battery storage.
Jackson Family Wines previously won a Green Power Purchasing Award in 2011 and a Green Power Partner of the Year Award in 2016.
Michigan State University
Michigan State University (MSU) is a leading research university that seeks to take meaningful action on the world's most pressing issues, including climate change and renewable energy. This is MSU's first year as a Green Power Partner and the university's first Green Power Leadership Award. EPA is recognizing Michigan State University with a 2018 Direct Project Engagement Award for:
- Hosting the largest solar photovoltaic carport system in the United States, through a long-term power purchase agreement (PPA).
- Installing an innovative anaerobic digestion system in 2013, which was the largest of its kind on a college campus when created. The system turns dairy farm and dining hall food waste into renewable energy.
- Regional leadership and effective communications about its green power projects.
- The university’s commitment to green power innovation, as shown by the evolution of its green power portfolio—utilizing various supply options and resource types.
The Procter & Gamble Company
The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is a global consumer goods corporation that produces personal hygiene, laundry, and beauty care products and has on-the-ground operations in about 70 countries. P&G set a goal to procure 100 percent renewable electricity for its global operations by 2030 and is focused on reducing both its electric and thermal energy consumption. A Green Power Partner since March 2017, P&G was chosen for a 2018 Direct Project Engagement Award for its:
- Outstanding communications efforts, particularly a video that illustrates how P&G’s onsite power purchase agreement (PPA) with the plant’s owner, Constellation, works. This video helps consumers understand how biomass-based combined heat and power provides renewable steam to make everyday products like Bounty and Charmin while sending electricity to Georgia Power and its local customers. Procter & Gamble retains the renewable attributes, in the form of renewable energy certificates (RECs), from the electricity generated.
- Procurement of 743 million kilowatt-hours of green power, which represents about 19 percent of the company’s organization-wide electric load.
- Utilization of multiple green power supply options and resources, including an onsite biomass PPA, a financial wind PPA, wind REC contracts, and onsite solar generation.
- Sector and regional leadership as a consumer products company prioritizing green power in a sector with few large green power projects.
- Use of a Green Power Partnership project matching effort to sign its financial PPA with the Tyler Bluff Wind Project LLC.
T-Mobile US, Inc.
T-Mobile US, Inc. is a multi-national telecommunications company that joined the Green Power Partnership in 2018. This is T-Mobile's first Green Power Leadership Award. EPA is recognizing T-Mobile with a 2018 Direct Project Engagement Award for:
- Signing a financial power purchase agreement (PPA) for 625 million kilowatt-hours, which was the largest wind power investment to date made by a wireless company.
- The company’s direct impact on creating new green power supply as a result of the PPA.
- Using 27 percent green power for its operations in the United States. Additionally, T-Mobile has a goal to rapidly reach 100 percent renewable energy by 2021.
- Innovative and unusual communications, challenging its peer companies to #CleanUpWireless.
- Being a leader in its industry sector—T-Mobile is the first major U.S. telecommunications company to commit to 100 percent green power.
University of California
The University of California (UC) system has 10 campuses, five medical centers, and three affiliated national laboratories, serving more than 270,000 students overall. The first UC campus joined the Green Power Partnership in 2013; all the campuses joined the Partnership system-wide in 2017. EPA is recognizing the University of California system with a 2018 Direct Project Engagement Award for:
- Increasing its voluntary green power use by 40 percent system-wide.
- Completing 12 new onsite solar projects located at UC Berkeley, UC Riverside, UC San Diego, UC Santa Barbara, and the UC Path Center in Riverside.
- Hosting more than 40 megawatts (MW) of onsite solar capacity with photovoltaic systems located at every campus.
- Establishing a goal of becoming the first major research university system to achieve carbon neutrality by 2025,
- Communicating effectively with students and alumni about the benefits of carbon neutrality.
The University of California system also won an award for Excellence in Green Power Use in 2017.
Renewable Energy Markets Conference
About the Conference
Renewable Energy Markets Exit is the industry's paramount annual gathering attended by leading renewable energy and green power stakeholders, and is held in a different major city each year. This year’s Renewable Energy Markets Conference will be held September 4-6, 2019 in San Diego, California. Visit the Renewable Energy Markets Conference website Exit for more information.
At the REM conference, attendees:
- Network with the industry's key players, including power marketers, renewable energy developers, retail and wholesale green power suppliers, electric utilities, equipment manufacturers, government agencies, energy consultants, and nonprofit experts
- Gain new insights about the major issues facing voluntary renewable energy and carbon markets
- Learn about profitable strategies for industry growth and current renewable energy supply and demand trends
- Attend the Green Power Leadership Awards Banquet, which is held in conjunction with the conference
About the Awards Ceremony
EPA co-sponsors the Green Power Leadership Awards in conjunction with the Center for Resource Solutions (CRS). The awards recognize the leading actions of organizations, programs, and individuals that significantly advance the development of the voluntary green power market. This year’s Green Power Leadership Awards Ceremony will take place at the Renewable Energy Markets Conference.
To receive Partnership and awards updates, please contact us and indicate your interest in receiving updates from the Green Power Partnership.