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EPA Recognizes Connecticut as One of Nation’s Top Green Power Purchasers

Release Date: 03/12/2009
Contact Information: Paula Ballentine – (617) – 918-1027

(Boston, Mass. March 12, 2009) – The State of Connecticut has been named one of only three states making EPA’s top 50 list of national Green Power Partners, ranking 33rd on that list. This year, Connecticut will be purchasing more than 98 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power, which is enough green power to meet 17 percent of the state’s purchased electricity use.

Connecticut’s purchase of green power resources began with Governor Rell’s Energy Vision for a Cleaner, Greener State, which set a goal of increasing the percentage of clean, renewable energy consumed by state government from all sources to 20 percent by the year 2020.

"We are well on track to achieve the goal of obtaining 20 percent of the electricity used by the state of Connecticut from renewable sources by 2020," Governor M. Jodi Rell said. "This demonstrates and validates Connecticut's leadership on energy and climate issues."

EPA estimates that the State of Connecticut’s green power purchase of more than 98 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) is equivalent to avoiding the carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions of nearly 13,000 passenger vehicles per year, or is the equivalent amount of electricity needed to power more than 9,000 average American homes.

“Green power” is defined as electricity that is generated from environmentally preferable renewable resources, such as solar, wind, geothermal, biogas, biomass, and low-impact hydro. These resources generate electricity with zero anthropogenic (caused by humans) carbon dioxide emissions and offer a superior environmental profile to conventional power generation. In addition, buying green power helps support the development of new renewable energy capacity nationwide.

The purchase helps support the state’s Energy Vision for a Cleaner, Greener State initiative. The goal of the initiative is to create measurable ways to reduce the cost of energy for consumers and businesses, strengthen state energy policy over the long- and short-term and reaffirm Connecticut’s position as a leader in renewable energy.

EPA’s Green Power Partnership is a voluntary program that encourages organizations to purchase green power as a way to reduce the environmental impacts associated with conventional electricity use. The Partnership currently has more than 1000 Partners voluntarily purchasing billions of kilowatt hours of green power annually. Partners include a wide variety of leading organizations such as Fortune 500 companies, small and medium sized businesses, local, state, and federal governments, trade associations, as well as colleges and universities.

More information:

EPA's Green Power Partnership (epa.gov/greenpower)

The nation’s Top 50 Partners in 2009 (https://www.epa.gov/greenpower/toplists/index.htm)

EPA information on energy and New England’s environment (epa.gov/region1/eco/energy)

Connecticut Tips on protecting our environment (www.onethingct.com)