U.S. Postal Service “Unplugs”

Postmaster General Kicks Off Year-long Conservation Campaign

WASHINGTON, DC — Unplug.

Turn off lights. Close doors. Adjust thermostats. Report HVAC problems. Turn off unused equipment. Become personally responsible for conservation. Simple steps that, taken collectively among the 685,000 employees at the U.S. Postal Service and throughout its 34,000 facilities, will have a dramatic impact on the environment.

That was the message from Postmaster General John Potter, launching a year-long campaign to increase awareness and create results for energy conservation. Potter called on employees, suppliers and partners in the mailing industry to increase efforts to “go green.”  His statements came during a special “unplugged” event at Postal Service corporate headquarters, recognizing October as National Energy Awareness Month.

The Postal Service has a stated goal of reducing energy use 30 percent by 2015, he said, a further demonstration of the organization’s commitment to environmental stewardship. Scheduled capital investments will be made annually in energy conservation measures, primarily for lighting and HVAC upgrades.

“We need to take whatever steps we can to meet the needs of the present without compromising the future,” Potter said. “Today is another step toward a culture of conservation here at the Postal Service.”

The Postmaster General hosted a special “unplugged” event that included acoustic performances by several musicians, provided demonstrations of photovoltaic equipment used throughout the Postal Service, showed off some alternative-fuel vehicles, including the T3, a three-wheeled vehicle that runs on electricity being tested as a possible replacement for traditional fuel delivery vehicles in Florida, California, Texas and Arizona.

“We are building on a strong history of environmental stewardship,” said Sam Pulcrano, vice president, Sustainability. “Every day brings a new challenge and a new opportunity to reduce our impact and improve our operations and systems.”

Efforts include a Utility Management System pilot project began earlier this year to capture consumption and cost data for electricity, natural gas and fuel oil. The pilot has successfully gathered bills for 600 sites and processed payments The project provides greater visibility into cost and consumption information, allowing the Postal Service to better manage energy resources.

Detailed energy audits are ongoing at 500 of the largest energy-consuming buildings in the postal inventory. These buildings represent approximately 40 million square feet of facility space (40 percent of all facilities) and approximately 60 percent of the Postal Service’s energy consumption. More than 1 trillion BTUs of potential energy reductions already have been identified.

A national energy management plan is being reviewed by Postal Service leadership, identifying goals and standards for energy reduction and consumption for facility energy management, fleet management, fuel use and energy consumption.

Other energy and conservation programs include:

• Incorporating energy efficient requirements into mail processing equipment designs. New standards such as power consumption now are being reviewed as part of postal procurement procedures. ENERGYSTAR® and Federal Energy Management Program(FEMP)-designated products will be used.
• The Denver Post Office was honored with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED certification is a nationally accepted rating system that measures the environmental attributes and sustainable features of buildings. All LEED-certified buildings reduce water use by 37 percent, energy use by 30 percent and use at least 15 percent of recycled materials for construction. LEED certification is pending for a postal facility in South Hampton, NY.
• Lighting and lighting controls in processing plants are being upgraded to include energy-efficient  fluorescent track lighting, creating a cleaner and whiter environment.
• The Postal Service is exploring several energy saving systems in facilities around the country, including the use of photovoltaic cells, solar panels, geo-thermal panels and wind turbines.
• With the largest civilian fleet of alternative fuel-capable vehicles (43,000), the Postal Service used more than 1 million gallons of alternative fuel and increased E85 fuel consumption by 40 percent last year.

For more information on green initiatives and consumer products can be found at usps.com/green.

An Audio News Release and fact sheet are available for this press release. Please visit the newsroom on usps.com or contact joanne.m.veto@usps.gov for copies.