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Green Power Planet #24
March 19, 2009

In this edition of the Green Power Planet:

Welcome New Green Power Partners!
Revisions to Green Power Partnership Program Requirements
EPA to Host Webinar on Renewable Energy Hedges
Next Update of Top Partner Rankings Scheduled for April 2009
2009 Communications Opportunities for Partners
Wrap-up of 2008-2009 College & University Green Power Challenge
EPA Updates Its Green Power Equivalency Calculator
Partner Spotlight: Founding Green Power Partners
Cost of Solar Installations Has Fallen in Decade
Upcoming Events

Welcome New Green Power Partners!

Welcome to the following 69 organizations that have recently joined (as of March 19, 2009) the Green Power Partnership (GPP).

Architecture Services: Ammon Heisler Sachs Architects (Md.), Einhorn Yaffee Prescott Architecture & Engineering (N.Y.)

Consumer Products: American Thermoplastic Company (Pa.), BigToys, Inc. (Wash.), Environmental Elements (Mich.), In Clover (Colo.), Santa Fe Natural Tobacco Company (N.C.)

Education (Higher): Bunker Hill Community College / Chelsea Campus (Mass.), Clemson University / ICAR (S.C.), Swarthmore College (Pa.)

Education (K-12): Melvin J. Berman Hebrew Academy (Md.)

Energy Services: Energy Solutions (Utah)

Food & Beverage: Essential Living Foods (Calif.), Partners (Wash.)

Government (Local, Municipal): City of Cordova (Alaska), City of River Falls (Wis.), City of Stoughton (Wis.)

Green Power Community: Cordova (Alaska), Stoughton (Wis.)

Health Care: Providence Health & Services / Headquarters (Wash.)

Industrial Goods & Services: Creative Werks LLC (Ill.), Millipore Corporation (Mass.), Solberg Manufacturing (Ill.), Stanley Machining & Tool Corp (Ill.), Thoro Packaging (Calif.)

Information Technology: Aldebaran Web Design (Wash.), ConferencePlus (Ill.), GrayHair Software, Inc. (N.J.), Opus Interactive, Inc. (Ore.), Sharp Microelectronics of the Americas (Wash.), Sony DADC (N.J.), The USB Superstore (Calif.)

Legal Services: Maynard, Cooper & Gale (Ala.), Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP / New York City Office (N.Y.)

Marketing, Advertising, & Public Relations: Com-Pak Services, Inc. (N.J.), Direct Group, LLC (N.J.), Page 1 Solutions, LLC (Colo.)

Media, Print & Publishing: Accent Signage (Minn.), Bloomberg LP (N.Y.), Company X Media LLC (N.Y.), Curry Graphics (Calif.), Fruitridge Printing (Calif.), L & L Printers Carlsbad (Calif.), Pictorial Offset Corporation (N.J.), Press Media Corporation (Utah), Spectrum Printing & Graphics (Md.), Svec/Conway Printing (Md.), Think Speak Act, LLC (Md.), US Recall News (Colo.)

Non-profit: New England Aquarium (Mass.), Omega Institute for Holistic Studies, Inc. (N.Y.)

Other: AcoustiCraft Inc (Conn.), Ahimsa Dog Training (Wash.), Central Dawgma & The Dawg Wash (Md.), iStoreGreen (N.Y.), Mike Lemon Casting (Pa.)

Real Estate: Arbour Realty (Va.), Boulder Associates / Orange County, CA Office (Calif.), Foulger-Pratt Management, Inc. (Md.), Residences of Austin Ranch (Texas)

Religious: Bnai Keshet (N.J.), The Franciscan Monastery of Saint Claire (S.C.)

Retail: Gaiam, Inc. (Colo.), Half Price Books / Texas Facilities (Texas), Simply Beautiful Boutique (Md.)

Transport & Shipping: Dane County Regional Airport (Wis.)

Travel and Leisure: Arapahoe Basin Ski Resort (Colo.), Club Quarters (Conn.), Stevens Pass Resort (Wash.)

Revisions to Green Power Partnership Program Requirements

Since the Green Power Partnership was established, EPA has continually reviewed and updated program requirements in order to enhance program credibility, support best practices, strengthen program integrity, and increase program cost-effectiveness. The Partnership received 13 separate written comments in response to proposed program revisions issued in December 2008.

After careful consideration, on February 19, 2009, EPA has implemented five program requirement changes:

Minimum Purchase Levels and Green Power Leadership Club (GPLC): Effective January 1, 2011, EPA will increase the minimum purchase levels and associated GPLC levels.
Requirement for New Renewables: Effective July 1, 2009, no new purchases of existing renewables (from facilities placed in service before January 1, 1997) will qualify for the Partnership. Current Green Power Partners’ in-place contracts existing renewables will be recognized until the end of the contract or January 1, 2012, whichever comes first.
Future RECs: Effective February 19, 2009, new purchases of future RECs may be counted only in the year generated. Partners currently purchasing future RECs may continue to count future RECs against their current year Partnership commitments until the end of their contract or January 1, 2011, whichever comes first.
Window for Making an Initial Green Power Purchase: Effective February 19, 2009, new Partners will have six months to make an initial green power purchase.
Scope of Purchase and Green Power Claims: Effective February 19, 2009, Partners with branded franchise facilities must clearly state in any public disclosure whether or not their purchase includes such branded facilities. With respect to rented or lease space, only the party purchasing the green power may make environmental claims.

For a detailed explanation of these revised program requirements, please see http://www.epa.gov/grnpower/documents/gpp_requirements2009.pdf (PDF) (4 pp., 78K, About PDF). Please contact Blaine Collison (collison.blaine@epa.gov), with any questions or comments regarding these changes.

EPA to Host Webinar on Renewable Energy Hedges

On March 31, from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Eastern time, the Partnership will host a Webinar on renewable energy hedges. Participants will learn how “contract for differences” hedges work, and how your organization can use these financial transactions to reduce and stabilize energy costs while decreasing your organization’s carbon emissions. The Webinar will feature presenters from NextEra Energy Resources, Eco Power Hedge, and Southern New Hampshire University.

Next Update of Top Partner Rankings Scheduled for April 2009

The Green Power Partnership will update its Top Partner lists at the end of April 2009. Please remember to submit your updated green power purchase information to EPA by April 7, 2009, in order to have your organization reflected in the April update!

The Top Partner Rankings highlight the annual green power purchases of leading organizations within the United States and across individual industry sectors.

2009 Communications Opportunities for Partners

It’s not too late for Climate Leaders and Green Power Partners to be part of the first co-branded Climate Leaders/Green Power Partnership advertising supplements being developed in 2009 by Forbes, National Geographic, Environmental Leader.com, and ClimateBiz.com.

Forbes’ closing date is approaching on April 27, 2009, and National Geographic’s commitment date is June 15, 2009. Deadlines for Environmental Leader.com and ClimateBiz.com are floating, but interested Partners should contact these outlets directly. Contact information is provided at www.epa.gov/climateleaders/documents/events/comms_webinar.pdf (PDF) (8 pp., 1.3M), along with additional information about specific issue dates, and pricing for each media outlet. In addition, similar past advertising supplements can be reviewed at www.epa.gov/climateleaders/partner-recognition/ad-supplements.html.

Wrap-up of 2008-2009 College & University Green Power Challenge

C & U Challenge graphic In April 2009, EPA will conclude the 2008-2009 College and University Green Power Challenge. The Challenge recognizes the collegiate athletic conferences with the highest combined green power purchases in the nation. EPA will recognize participating institutions as 2008-09 Green Power Challenge Champions in two separate categories:

Champion Green Power Conference – compares the collective purchases between athletic conferences, recognizing the largest collective purchase among eligible conferences
Individual Conference Champions – compares the eligible green power purchasing between institutions in an athletic conference, recognizing the largest individual institutional purchaser

Schools interested in taking part in the 2008-2009 College & University Green Power Challenge should provide EPA with their green power purchase information by April 7, 2009.

The Green Power Challenge is open to all U.S. colleges, universities, and conferences. To be listed, a conference must have an aggregate green power purchase of at least 10 million kWh across the conference. For more information, please contact Blaine Collison (collison.blaine@epa.gov). To learn more about the Challenge, visit http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/initiatives/cu_challenge.htm.

EPA Updates Its Green Power Equivalency Calculator

EPA developed the Green Power Equivalency Calculator to help Partners better communicate their green power purchase to interested stakeholders. The calculator translates kilowatt-hours purchased into more understandable terms, such as an equivalent number of passenger vehicles, homes, or coal plants.

In making these equivalency calculations, the calculator uses EPA’s eGRID utility nonbaseload emissions rates. In February 2009, EPA updated the calculator to reflect EPA’s newest release of eGRID – eGRID2007 Version 1.1 – which includes annual non-baseload carbon dioxide output emission rates (year 2005 data). This update will provide you with more accurate avoided CO₂ emissions equivalency statements. The Green Power Equivalency Calculator is easy to use and can be found at http://www.epa.gov/greenpower/pubs/calculator.htm.

Partner Spotlight: Founding Green Power Partners

EPA’s Green Power Partnership salutes 17 Founding Partners for their ongoing commitment to green power. When these Partners joined in 2001, together they were purchasing approximately 140 million kilowatt hours (kWh) of green power. Now, eight years later, these same Partners are collectively purchasing more than 1.3 billion kWh—an increase of over 950 percent!

Nearly all of the 17 Founding Partners have increased their green power purchase since joining the Partnership, and many are now purchasing 100 percent green power. Nine of these Partners have also been honored with at least one Green Power Leadership Award.

EPA thanks these Founding Partners for continued leadership in green power purchasing: 3M / Austin, TX Facilities; Batdorf & Bronson Coffee Roasters; Carnegie Mellon University; City of Chicago, IL; City of Portland, OR; City of Santa Monica, CA; Connecticut College; FedEx Office; Fetzer Vineyards; General Motors / Service Parts Operations; Interface, Inc.; Johnson & Johnson; New Belgium Brewing Company; Steelcase USA; University of Colorado at Boulder; U.S. Department of Energy; and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Cost of Solar Installations Has Fallen in Decade

The cost of installing solar panels on homes and businesses decreased more than 25 percent from 1998 through 2007, according to a recently issued report by researchers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The report is based on an analysis of installed cost data from nearly 37,000 residential and non-residential PV systems, totaling 363 megawatts of capacity, and representing 76 percent of all grid-connected PV capacity installed in the Unites States through 2007. The report found average installed costs vary widely across states; among systems less than 10 kW completed in 2006 or 2007, average costs range from a low of $7.6/W in Arizona to a high of $10.6/W in Maryland. PV installed costs also exhibit significant economies of scale, with new systems larger than 750 kW costing 25 percent less than systems under 2 kW on a dollar-per-watt basis. The report is available at: http://eetd.lbl.gov/ea/emp/reports/lbnl-1516e.pdf (PDF). (42 pp., 6.7M)

Upcoming Events

Spring 2009 Corporate Responsibility Officer Summit, April 23, Washington, DC

The Green Power Partnership will be attending, exhibiting, and speaking at the Spring 2009 Corporate Responsibility Officer (CRO) Summit. The one-day Spring CRO Summit features 20 speakers and 300 Corporate Responsibility leaders looking into President Obama’s “new era of responsibility” and its focus on “re-regulation.”

Sustainable Manufacturing Summit, April 29-30, Chicago, Illinois

The Green Power Partnership will be attending and speaking at the Sustainable Manufacturing Summit. The Sustainable Manufacturing Summit will examine the latest developments in sustainable strategies for manufacturers of all sectors.

Green4Retail 2009, April 29-30, Chicago, Illinois

The Green Power Partnership will be attending and speaking at the Green4Retail 2009 Conference. This event will focused on the return on investment that green building and facility initiatives offer the retail industry.

CleanMed 2009, May 18-20, Chicago, Illinois

The Green Power Partnership will be attending and speaking at CleanMed 2009. The CleanMed 2009 conference focuses on environmental improvements in the health care sector.

GovEnergy 2009, August 9-12, Providence, Rhode Island

GovEnergy 2009 is an energy workshop and tradeshow for federal agencies. The event will provide insight on reducing Federal agency energy usage and cost, as mandated by the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Executive Order 13423, EISA 2007, and additional Federal guidance.

To arrange to meet with EPA representatives at any of these conferences, please contact Blaine Collison (collison.blaine@epa.gov) or 202-343-9139.

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