For Immediate Release
April 22, 2008

Earth Week Marks PPPL Designation as ENERGY STAR® Partner

Plainsboro, New Jersey — Energy efficiency matters! That was the Earth Day message demonstrated today by the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory (PPPL), a national center for fusion energy and science research, as it was welcomed as an ENERGY STAR® partner by the DOE and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). ENERGY STAR® partners are facilities that take action to improve energy efficiency, protect the environment and reduce greenhouse gases.

Princeton's designation as the first Department of Energy facility to become an ENERGY STAR® partner highlights the Laboratory's commitment to reducing it's footprint on the environment through increased energy efficiency and reducing greenhouse gas emissions while conducting cutting edge research, said DOE Under Secretary for Science Dr. Raymond L. Orbach in a statement. The Laboratory, as part of an overall Department of Energy initiative, is also focusing on increasing use of renewable energy, reducing water use and implementing sustainable design into its operations. Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory is a model for all Department of Energy facilities.

EPA Deputy Administrator Marcus Peacock recognized the Laboratory for its commitment to sound energy management through investments in energy efficient lighting, energy management systems, and energy benchmarking in facilities and operations.

What better day than Earth Day to recognize a facility that is helping EPA achieve our environmental protection goals through a promising partnership, said Peacock. We are encouraged to see the Princeton Plasma Physics Lab, a distinguished member of the scientific community, serve as a model to other organizations, proving you can conduct outstanding scientific research while saving energy and money. PPPL's pioneering fusion research has the potential to dramatically improve America's energy security while significantly reducing air pollution and emissions of greenhouse gases. Peacock joined DOE Princeton Site Office Manager Jerry Faul in announcing the partnership at PPPL's Earth Day celebration on April 22.

In partnership with ENERGY STAR®, PPPL will measure and track the energy performance of the organization's facilities and operations by using tools offered through the program. PPPL will also develop and implement a plan consistent with the ENERGY STAR® energy management strategy to achieve energy savings and promote the importance of energy efficiency to its staff and community.

ENERGY STAR® was introduced by EPA in 1992 as a voluntary, market-based partnership to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. Now in partnership with DOE, EPA works with more than 8,000 organizations to improve the energy efficiency of products, homes and businesses. The ENERGY STAR® label appears on more than 40 kinds of consumer products. To learn more about ENERGY STAR®, visit www.EnergyStar.gov or call 1-888-STAR-YES.

PPPL, funded by the DOE's Office of Science and managed by Princeton University, is a collaborative national center for science and innovation leading to an attractive fusion energy source. Fusion is the process that powers the sun and the stars. In the interior of stars, matter is converted into energy by the fusion, or joining, of the nuclei of light atoms to form heavier elements. At PPPL, physicists use a magnetic field to confine a hot ionized gas, or plasma, as the fuel for fusion energy production. Scientists hope to eventually use fusion energy for the generation of electricity.

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