Green Power and Renewable Energy

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Heightened interest in global climate change, acid rain, respiratory ailments, and smog have raised concerns about emissions of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, mercury, and particulate matter from the burning of fossil fuels. Concerns also exist about the other environmental impacts associated with traditional electricity generation fuel sources, such as the impacts of mining, drilling, processing, transporting, and disposing of fuels.

Fostering renewable energy production and developing better renewable technologies—along with improving the environmental performance of conventional electricity generation—benefits the environment, expands the diversity of our energy supply, and improves the reliability of our power supply systems. Through its purchases, onsite renewable energy systems, and outreach efforts, EPA supports the development of the green power market, which is a critical component in the long-term strategy to protect our environment.

EPA is the first major federal agency to purchase green power equal to 100 percent of its estimated annual electricity use nationwide.

In FY 2007, EPA is purchasing approximately 330 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of green power annually in the form of either renewable energy certificates (RECs) or delivered green power. This amount is equal to 100 percent of the total estimated annual electricity consumption at all of EPA’s nearly 200 facilities across the country—enough electricity to power 30,830 homes for an entire year.

For an explanation of the difference between delivered green power and renewable energy certificates, or "green tags," review EPA's document Green Power: Tags vs. Delivered Product (PDF) (3 pages, 233 Kb, About PDF).

Green Power and Renewable Energy

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