WASHINGTON, DC — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency today has awarded its 2009 Green Power Leadership awards to 17 companies in recognition for their purchase of renewable energy.
The awards recognize companies in three categories: Green Power Partner of the Year, Green Power Purchasing and On-Site Generation. The companies earn the awards for their work in supporting the domestic renewable energy market.
Four firms were named Partners of the Year for their overall strategies and leadership: Deutsche Bank AG, Intel Corporation, Kohl's Department Stores and Mohawk Fine Papers.
Deutsche Bank last year purchased 160 million kilowatt-hours of green power, enough to meet 97 percent of its organizational energy needs. Intel, with its 1.3 billion kWh of green power purchases, is powering 48 percent of its annual energy use. Kohl's is powering 50 percent of its energy use with its 601 million kwh of green power purchases. Mohawk Fine Papers is purchasing 110 million kWh of renewable energy annually, enough to power 113 percent of its annual operations.
Three companies were awarded Green Power Leadership awards for onsite generation: Applied Materials, Butte College, and Walmart's California and Texas facilities. Applied Materials currently generates 3.2 million kWh of electricity per year, meeting 16 percent of its annual energy needs; Butte College, in Oroville, Calif., is powering 39 percent of its energy needs with 2.8 million kWh of onsite generation; and Walmart supplies 8 percent of the energy used in its California and Texas facilities by generating 17 million kWh of electricity onsite.
A further 10 companies earned Green Power leadership awards for purchasing renewable energy: Beaulieu Commercial, Bloomberg, EarthColor, Foulger-Pratt Management, The Joinery, Motorola, Neenah Paper, Shaklee Corporation, Steelcase USA and Western Pennsylvania Energy Consortium.
In total, the firms taking home Green Power Leadership awards this year are purchasing or generating more than 2.8 billion kilowatt-hours a year, with the equivalent environmental impact of avoiding the carbon dioxide emissions of nearly 375,000 vehicles.
More details about the awards and this year's winners are online at www.epa.gov/greenpower. The full list of winners in the 2009 Green Power Leadership awards is:
Green Power Partner of the Year
• Deutsche Bank AG
• Intel Corporation
• Kohl's Department Stores
• Mohawk Fine Papers, Inc.
Green Power Purchasing
• Beaulieu Commercial
• Bloomberg LP
• EarthColor, Inc.
• Foulger-Pratt Management, Inc.
• The Joinery
• Motorola, Inc.
• Neenah Paper, Inc.
• Shaklee Corporation
• Steelcase USA
• Western Pennsylvania Energy Consortium
On-Site Generation
• Applied Materials, Inc.
• Butte College
• Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. / California and Texas Facilities
The awards will be given out during the Ninth Annual Green Power Leadership Awards gala this week, which is being held during the Renewable Energy Markets 2009 Conference in Atlanta. San Francisco-based Center for Resource Solutions (CRS) and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) also will honor organizations for renewable energy leadership during the event.
The 2009 CRS Market Development Awards will recognize organizations in four categories:
Best Green Power Education Outreach Program
• AmarenUE
Best Promotional Campaign by a Green Power Purchaser
•PepsiCo (for Sunchips)
Best Marketing Campaign by a Green Power Supplier
• Bonneville Environmental Foundation
Green Power Pioneer
• Ed Holt
The 2009 DOE Green Power Supplier Awards include:
Non-Utility Green Power Supplier of the Year
• 3Degrees
• Bonneville Environmental Foundation
Utility Green Power Program of the Year
• Central Vermont Public Service Corp. -- Cow Power
• Madison Gas and Electric Co.
• Puget Sound Energy