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, methane, nitrous oxide, and particulate matter from burning 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 the nation's energy supply, and improves the reliability of 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 the 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 2008, EPA purchased approximately 256 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of green power in the form of either delivered green power or renewable energy certificates (RECs). This amount is equal to 100 percent of the total estimated annual electricity consumption at all of EPA’s more than 200 facilities across the country—or enough electricity to power 24,024 homes for an entire year.

In March 2009, EPA signed a contract to continue purchasing enough RECs to offset a major portion of EPA facilities' electricity use through September 30, 2009.

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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