Energy 2000 Conference Serves as a Model for Green Meetings

GSA #9720

August 17, 2000
Contact: Eleni Martin (202) 501-1231
eleni.martin@gsa.gov

Washington, DC -- To assure that Energy 2000 is remembered as an environmentally responsible event, the federal government and cosponsors have forged partnerships to instill green meeting principles in every facet of Energy 2000, including transportation, food service, accommodations, and other daily activities. Energy 2000 is the third annual national conference for government and private sector energy professions. The event will be held August 21-23 in Pittsburgh, PA.

"GSA has made every effort to encourage environmental responsibility at Energy 2000, and is institutionalizing green meeting principles at other events such as this," said Paul Lynch, Environmental Executive for the U.S. General Services Administration. "By using natural resources in a sustainable way, GSA serves as a model for green meetings."

Energy 2000 partners include the David L. Lawrence Convention Center, the Doubletree Hotel, transportation providers, printers, and suppliers. Specifically, Energy 2000 partners have agreed to take the following measures:

Minimize the use of printed materials.
Print conference materials on both sides of a page.
Use vegetable-based or soy-based inks to print conference materials.
Encourage participants to register online and to review session materials online.
Minimize disposables by using china, glass, and cloth napkins where feasible.
Conserve water and eliminate unnecessary dishwashing by making water available to dining room guests upon request only, and by encouraging hotel guests to re-use towels and sheets.
Recycle materials by the convention center.
Encourage participants to use bus transportation in lieu of renting vehicles.

The Energy 2000 agenda features seven workshop tracks - facility operations and energy markets; green building; managing energy information; project and program integration; project financing; technology; and whole building design. The exhibit hall will feature more than a hundred exhibits.

The conference is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy's Federal Energy Management Program and cosponsored by the U.S. General Services Administration and the Department of Defense. It is being held in conjunction with the Green Building Alliance, National Energy Technology Laboratory, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. National Park Service.

Detailed Energy 2000 program information is available on the Internet at http://www.energy2000.ee.doe.gov. For registration information, contact JoAnn Stirling, Conference Registrar, 800-395-8574; 321-638-1014.